Handfasted (To Love a Governess Novella) (11 page)

Chapter 9

They had barely been on the road for half an hour and Katrina was asleep. How anyone could sleep as much as she was beyond Timothy.
 
Had he not spent the last month with her in the shop working by her side, he would have thought she was one of those ladies who slept her day away. But Katrina normally had more energy than the normal person, but something about riding in this carriage put her sound asleep. A chill hung in the air this morning and he pulled a blanket from beneath the seat to cover her.

The more he watched her the heavier his eyes grew.
 
A nap would not be such a bad idea.
Especially since he planned on exhausting her, hopefully when she woke.

Timothy stretched out on his bench the best he could. One arm was folded over his head and the other across his middle.
 
One leg was bent, his foot resting on the seat and the other on the floor. The seat was much too short for him to stretch out in and he would not be comfortable
laying
curled on his side as Katrina was.

Soon the gentle sway of the carriage rocked him to sleep with visions of Katrina naked in his bed.
Yesm
his bed.
The one in the lodges he rented. No more lonely nights, no more boredom.
 
Just he and she in his bed, in London.

His eyes popped open. What was he thinking? He had no intention of returning to London any time soon and he certainly was in no position to have her in his bed there. Such a thing would see her ruined immediately and she would never get a job as a governess, nor would he insult her by making her his mistress. Katrina deserved more, but he was not in a position to give anything else. His life was too uncertain. He didn’t even know what awaited him in Middleton.
 
If he were settled and certain of his future he would skip Willanton and take her to one of his father’s smaller estates where she would remain a year and a day and then she would be his permanent wife.
 
But that would be unfair to her. Her life was already uncertain, as it had been since her father passed on and he was not going to add to her troubles. Perhaps when he was settled he would return to her, but not before he knew all that he could offer. For the moment he needed to just put such thoughts from his mind and simply enjoy what they had.

Timothy let his eyes drop again and didn’t fight the image of her in his bed, her hair fanned out on his pillow, nipples taut with desire, thighs spread and welcoming. It was a
lovely
 
vision
indeed.

* * *

This dream was becoming more real than any before. He could actually feel her hand on his bare chest, fingers pinching his nipple.
 
Lips closed over him and she nipped then soothed with her tongue.
 
Timothy shifted as his cock strained against the packet of his pants.

Her lips trailed down his stomach, her hands pressed against him. The packet loosened and she freed him.
 
Timothy groaned and stopped moving. That groan was real, and loud. He wasn’t asleep any longer and Katrina did have her hand on his cock.
 
It was the most pleasant way to wake.
 

He lifted his eye lids. Her head rested on his thighs as she studied his manhood.
 
She looked past it to him.
 
“Why don’t people make love durng the day?”

He choked and cleared his throat. His cock was in her hand and she asked such a question.
 
“They do. What gave you the idea they didn’t?”

Her hand started to move up and down and Timothy held back his groan of approval. “From what I have read, it seems everything happens at night, in a bed, or sometimes chair.”

“You never read anything regarding carriages?” He lifted his eyebrow wondering if there was such a book. Of course, he hadn’t read all of them yet.

She frowned. “No.” She moved to take her hand away.
 

Timothy quickly grasped it so she would not leave him in this state. “Trust me. People do make love during the day and in carriages.”

A smile pulled at her lips and a mischievous gleam appeared in her eyes. Part of him was more aroused by the look and the other, concerned. What was she planning?

The palm of her hand slid up his cock and she sat up. He hadn’t really paid attention until this moment but she was on her knees on the floor.
 
Timothy started to sit up.
 
Katrina should not be kneeling before him. But before he got a chance, her lips enveloped him.
 
How could he have forgotten what she had been reading this morning?

As much as he wished for this, he couldn’t allow it.
 
Timothy reached forward and placed a hand on her cheek, moving her face away from him.

Worry marred her brow. “You don’t like this.”

A short spurt of laughter erupted. “Yes, but proper women don’t do this.” He couldn’t even find the right words for description.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know?”
 

How did he answer this question? He couldn’t very well say that his mistresses had told him so.

“Have you been intimate with every lady you know?”

“Of course not.”

“Did your friends tell you?”

“Well, no.” This was one topic that had never been discussed. They may mention who their mistress was, or who they believed was a good lover, but details were never shared.

“Then how do you know?”

“I assumed, based on what little I have heard.”

“So you don’t know that all women. . .”

“I suppose not.”
 
Could it be that those who he had been intimate with simply had no desire to make love to him in such a manner, or did not like this?
 

A smile pulled at her lips as his hand fell away.

* * *

Katrina took him in her mouth once again, going as far as she could yet it wasn’t far enough.
 
She tried to remember the instructions.
 
Timothy had liked it when she caressed his sack so she brought her hand up to do just exactly that.
 
The motion a man needed involved moving up and down and she grasped the base of him with her other hand and moved in the same rhythm as she had used her hand the night before. Her tongue circled and licked the head of his cock.

Timothy threaded his fingers through her hair, and gently grasped her scalp. With the barest of touch he moved her in the rhythm he preferred.
 
She hoped eventually she would know his rhythm and he would not need to guide her. His other hand grasped the side of the seat. His knuckles white again. She would need to ask why he had to hold onto things so tightly at moments like this.

Katrina closed her eyes and concentrated on bringing Timothy as much pleasure as she knew how from reading the books.
 
The motion of his hand on her head increased as did her movements.
 
He thickened within her lips and Katrina suspected he was going to explode soon. Should she adjust her rhythm to prolong his pleasure? She had read that men liked this. But, before she could decide, both of his hands grasped her head, removing her mouth from him.
 
Timothy grasped his cock and moved his hand in the same manner as she had done the night before and ejaculated against his stomach.

He fell back on the seat, hand still on his cock his breathing beginning to slow.
 
Katrina scooted so that she was closer to his face.
 
He turned to look at her. “Nobody has ever done that to me before.”

“Did you like it?” she asked before biting her lip, eyes narrowed with worry.

Timothy grinned.
 
“Liking would be a complete understatement to how I feel about what just occurred.”
 

The smile burst forth on her lips and she let out a held in breath.
 
Thank goodness he enjoyed it. She hoped he would and by his sated position on the seat she assumed, but one never knew.
 
And, she had pleased him like no one before which thrilled her greatly. If anything, he would remember this.

“Would you mind getting the bag?”

“You want a book.”

Timothy chuckled. “No, I put an extra shirt inside.”

Katrina pulled it out and handed it to Timothy. He undid his cravat and tossed it aside before he pulled the soiled shirt over his head. “After last night I thought, no hoped, I would need this today.”

Heat crept up her cheeks and she snuck a look inside the bag.
 
There were no more shirts so he must have planned on this only happening once.
 
It didn’t matter. They still had tonight.
 
She just hoped he touched her where he had before.
 
Her intention had been to bring him pleasure. She never dreamed it would make her want him too. The special place between her thighs throbbed, needing to be touched and she was damp, which she now recognized as desire.

The carriage slowed and came to a halt. She glanced out the window. They were at another coaching in.
 
Drat.
 
Either she had to wait until they were back in the carriage or wait for tonight. She certainly hoped he would touch her again. Maybe because he was satisfied at the moment he believed she was. Or, maybe he thought men needed that release more than women?
 
If that were the case how did she tell him differently?
 
Well, if he didn’t attempt to touch her when they were back in the carriage, she would just simply have to say something.
 

Thank goodness people did do such things during the daylight hours because she was going to make everyed at th count that they were together.

* * *

Timothy shoveled the food in his mouth ready to be on the road again.
 
Katrina took her time but eventually she ate everything and drained her glass of ale, refusing wine earlier.
 
He should have made her stick with water because given the full meal and ale, combined with the carriage she would be asleep within moments.

And, he was correct. They were barely out of town and Katrina was curled up on the seat, sound asleep again.
 
He had no desire to take a nap, though he had no arguments with the way he had been awakened before, he just wasn’t tired.
 

He studied her face, relaxed in sleep with her creamy complexion.
 
She was so beautiful, sweet, intelligent and passionate.
 
A man rarely found all the qualities he liked in one lady, but he found all of those and more in Katrina.
 
It would pain him to leave her in Willanton so that she could seek employment and no doubt the remainder of his trip would be quite lonely, but it was for the best.
 
His heart ached at the thought of leaving her behind.
 
When had he developed such a strong attachment and dare he call it love?
 

He could lie and convince himself it was only because of what they recently shared and she would be but a pleasant memory a few short months from now.
 
But, he knew he started to fall in love with her in her father’s shop when she spent so many hours inventorying the books and arguing about him allowing her to ride with him.

A smile pulled at his lips. Had he known what she planned would he have been strong enough to forbid her to enter his carriage?
 
Probably not and would have hurried to be handfasted so they could be on their way.