Madness (26 page)

"Surely. Just give me a moment."

“Here's more bread and cheese and some apples," Clarissa said, thrusting the last packages through. "How is he?”

“The vomiting is still pretty bad, but he’s holding up so far.”

“Good, glad to hear it.”

“How’s Lucinda?”

“A bit brighter each time I visit.”

Gabrielle took the proffered parcel, and patted her friend's hand. “That is good news. Tell her if he and I have any quiet spare moments tomorrow, I’m going to start widening this hole. Can you bring some more tools?”

“I will. The girls are having no trouble with Spence and his mate, and they've even treated the orderly to keep him away from the door."

"Thank you. I don't know what to say—"

Clarissa cleared her throat gruffly, and said, "Listen, I’m going to do my chores her quick-smart, and get back before the hard frost sets in. The weather is brewing up into quite a storm, but I’ll do my best to be back first thing. You take care, and I’ll bring you all sorts of nice presents tomorrow.”

“Just don’t get into trouble for it, Clarissa.”

“Never you mind that. We all look after our own.”

“Thanks again.”

She stepped over to the bed, and Simon pulled her into his arms for a brief hug, before leaning on her to get up to perform his ablutions.

When Simon had washed, brushed his teeth, and eaten the hot food, he seemed to be feeling a great deal better, though every so often he got a faraway look in his eyes, and concentrating on chess was far beyond him.

He did at least start out well, though, so that that anyone could see he had once been an exceptionally talented player.

But soon he let out several huge yawns, and asked if she minded him having a nap.

“No, not at all. I’ll lie down with you if you like.”

“I do like, very much.” He stripped his shirt off, and pulled the fastenings on her gown and the ribbons on her chemise. He feasted on her breasts for a time until sleep claimed him.

She stroked his face as he lay in peaceful repose, his head cradled against her so intimately she was moved to tears. He looked so harmless and innocent as he slumbered, as though he hadn't a care in the world.

She has shared so much with him already, that even if she had wished to remain aloof from him, not give her heart to him for feat of getting hurt, how could she not love him?

Yet this was a different kind of danger than she had ever imagined when they had first met.
 
He had told her he’d never shared his life with a woman. Yet it seemed hard to imagine this paragon of male virtue and desirability didn’t have a wife or fiancee anywhere.

But surely he would have mentioned it, recalled something of his past domestic life? He had sworn he had never lived with a woman, and had been shy about so many things which suggested he was telling the truth. Then there was his overall character. The little she did know about him had helped her form the opinion that he did not seem the type who would go out of his way to lie in order to seduce. His story had been consistent since they had met, even if there wasn’t a lot he could remember.

She sighed, knowing she had well and truly leaped before she had ever looked. She had no one to blame except herself if she got hurt emotionally. After all, she was the one who had insisted upon helping him.

He had begged her to leave for her own sake, fearing himself a threat to her, but not because he was committed elsewhere. It would be a risk, but one she was prepared to take along with all the others. It would be on her own head if she ended up with a broken heart.

But she simply had to trust him completely. All of her instincts told her this was true love, and she ought to grab it with both hands, extraordinary though the whole situation might seem to most rational people. But then, love had nothing to do with rationality…

Simon had done nothing but help her; he had never tried to deceive her. She would just have to be subtle about finding out more about him.

She pushed her insecurities to one side, determined they would not spoil the joy she was sharing with Simon even in these most grim circumstances.

All she had to know now was he needed her and seemed to adore her for herself. It was a lovely feeling. One she was never going to give up willingly. For as the passion welled up between them with the least touch or glance, she most certainly needed him too.

When Simon awakened refreshed a couple of hours later, Gabrielle was tempted to ask him for further details about his life. However, she forced herself to refrain. A frown of pain between his rare golden eyes was enough to ready her for another onslaught.

It came all too soon, and she repeatedly cleaned him with the by now tepid water and tried to give him some of the herbs Eswara Jerome had suggested.

But he was almost continuously ill for the rest of the morning, until they were both nearly exhausted. Finally she bathed his face with some camphor oil and water, which soothed his aching head and relaxed him.

“Better now?”

“Just come here and hold me. I’m so cold,” he said through chattering teeth.

She drew him into his arms, wrapping herself around him like a blanket.

From warming him with her body to making love was only a small step. This time she lay flat on top of him, rotating her hips to plunge him deeply into her, until the only sensation for him was pure delight. His trembling turned from chilled to heated, and Simon rasped his need for her more and more urgently until they both spiralled out of control and tipped over the edge.

“Concentrate on this, this only,” she gasped.

“It’s the only thing that makes my life bearable. That you don’t find me disgusting. But you’re so young. You don’t know what men can be," he said, cupping her to him fiercely, never ceasing in his movements even though they had both already shared the ultimate bliss.

“Then tell me. Tell me what this is, what it means.”

He gazed at her so intently she was sure he was looking right into her soul. “Ever since we met, I can’t go a single moment of the day or night without thinking about you. I get so hard sometimes I just want to wrap myself around your body and thrust into you until you can’t do anything but shout my name and beg me for more.

"I want your breasts filling my hands, your nipples between my lips, my cock between your thighs as I ride you from one end of the night to the other, sometimes at a canter, other times at a gallop, until we’re both so lathered with sweat and our mingled essence that they couldn’t pull us apart even if they tried.

“I want to hear you pant with passion, make those wonderful mewling noises when you come. They’re so exciting it’s like putting your hands on my jewels and rubbing. One touch of your hand there and I feel like the base of my skull and top of my head are going to burst. Just the thought of you wrapping your divine ruby red lips around me drives me right to the edge."

As he continued to move within her, she felt herself being driving right to the edge as well, completely lost in the wondrous madness of their desire.

“I can barely breathe for wanting you, Gabrielle," he continued, pouring his soul out to her even as he poured all his passion into her.
 
"Yet the fragrance of your wonderful essence is as necessary to me as air.

“And your taste. Every part of you, from the lovely little crease behind your ears, to the ones at the backs of your knees, is like honey. It’s all more addictive than the opium.

“As for your tight, glistening rosette of bliss, well, I’ve never seen or felt anything most wondrous in my life. The way you sheathe me like the perfect scabbard. The way you move under me, match your body to mine, it’s pure poetry. Utter perfection. And now we’re both going to explode together again in the most perfect rapture.”

She was completely mesmerised by his words. “Oh, yes Simon, yes please. More. Harder. Deeper.”

“
Certainement
.
Plus fort. Plus profound
. Ah, Gabrielle. My love.”

Pinned beneath his driving hips, she urged him on by clutching his muscular buttocks and digging her nails in. Then she felt it, the white hot lightning of sensation liqufying her bones, permeating her feminine centre until she was no more than an urgently needy and even greedy crucible in which he melted and poured his molten essence.

The inferno of orgasm burnt through her, filling her throat, her belly, scorching up to the top of her head and down to her toes.

The fire boiled and churned through his loins and veins, igniting every inch of his flesh. His massive head swelled and sent the flames washing through her, and she sobbed helplessly, convinced they would be locked in this maddeningly scorching moment for all eternity.

The conflagration consumed all before it, leaving nothing in its wake but two spent, quivering bodies, and a kiss of such tenderness that both wept with joy until a blissful somnolence finally claimed them.

Simon was strangely subdued the next morning, but not nearly as ill.

After a time she could stand the silence and his seeming avoidance of her gaze no longer, and asked gently, “What is it? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. It’s just, well, I was worried I might have hurt you last night. I remember your tears.”

She immediately threw her arms around his neck to kiss his cheek. “No, it wasn’t because you hurt me. It was from the overwhelming emotion. I never imagined anything like that could exist and well, I know it sounds absurd, but I’m so happy here with you, my love.”

He gave her a warm smile which lit his face and took her breath away. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am. And I’m sorry if I shocked you. I never imagined I could ever say such things to any woman. Things so, well, heated. But I wanted everything to be honest between us.”

She beamed at him. “It was all wonderful.”

“And now I have another confession to make. I can’t stop looking at your breasts and bottom. Thinking of you all damp and moist and ready for me under than skirt.”

She smiled impishly. “Well, why don’t you see for yourself if I am. And if I’m not ready enough yet, I’m sure there are a couple of things you can do to make me so. So long as you let me do the same for you.”

“Oh, no really, it’s—”

She put his hand on her left breast and slid her own nimble fingers down his thigh to leave him in no doubt that she was in earnest. “The love we make, you and I mingled, our love conjoined, it’s beautiful. You’re beautiful, and I’m so glad you’re not ill today.”

“I feel very light-headed, but I think it’s still a residual aspect of whatever happened between us last night. It was like a volcano erupting, and I just couldn’t stop.”