Lord Greyton's Fall From Grace (Lords of Avalon Novella Series) (5 page)

“Nevermind how I know, Grace
.
The point is that I do
.
I fear if you do not interest him in a passionate way, he may change his mind while he is gone.
”

Grace didn’t want to believe Meg
.
Yet she
felt compelled
to ask her for
she did have
some
fears
because she knew
very little
of what
truly
happened between a man and woman.
“Exactly how would I do that, Meg?”

“Does he kiss you with his tongue?”

Grace blushed again
.
She could only nod.

“That’s good
.
Has he touched your breasts?”

Grace nearly spit out the sip of tea she had just taken
.
“N-no.”

“You must press your breasts against his chest when he kisses you
.
It’s good
to let your hands touch him on his chest and his arms
.
And let him touch you wherever he wants to
.
I would think he would at least
have
fondle
d
your breasts by now.” Meg rolled her eyes. “Charlie was very quick to do that
as well as
lift my skirts.”

“You shouldn’t be telling me
such
things, Meg!” Grace hurriedly set down her tea cup
.

“Someone has to
.
Grace, do you wish to have Owen return and marry you?”

“Of course, but I-“

“
You d
on’t
have to
let him have everything, Grace, but there are a few things you can do to encourage him, and make him
re
ally want you.”

“Want me?”
Grace asked
with a blank look on her face
.

“
Intercourse, Grace
, to make love to you
.
I doubt things will progress that
far before he leaves if he’s just kissing you still.” Meg stood and rolled her eyes
.
“But let me tell you a few things you can do to keep him interested.”

Grace wasn’t certain why, but she listened to Meg
.
Many of the things Meg told her made her blush
even more
. After Meg left Grace was th
ankful she learned a bit more about what happen
ed
between a man and woman, but decided she would do best not to take any of Meg’s advice.
The things she spoke about were all quite scandalous.

“Father had business to tend to.” Grace explained when Owen was led into the small parlour
.
“It will just be you and I for tea.”

Owen
offered her a pleased grin
.
“I will not complain, Grace.
”

Grace smiled
.
Her thoughts kept wandering back to
the conversation with
Meg that morning
.
Grace had no intention of initiating any of the
unladylike
things Meg
revealed to
her, but she
was now more aware of what to expect from the marriage bed
.
Up until that point she knew very little
.
Still she caught herself several times wondering what it might feel like to have Owen touch her breasts or other parts of her body. She dismissed such thoughts
.
She
felt
as warm and heated as she did when Owen kissed her
. T
here was that peculiar feeling in her belly
and
even
lower
.

“
I received letters from my colleagues
I will travel to Italy with
this morning
.
We are
friends
more
than colleagues
, truly.
We will meet at Roseland Abbey before departing for Italy
.
I hope they arrive early enough for you to meet them, Grace.”

“I would
very much like
to meet your friends
, Owen.”

Grace looked lovely today
.
She
wore
a
modestly cut and
particularly well-fitting gown of
olive green silk that had a
gold
sheen to it
.
On most women the color would have looked horrible, but with her rich golden brown hair
,
her liquid-brown eyes and her pale skin, she looked earthy
.
She reminded him of a woodland nymph
.
Her lips were the most perfect shade of
deep
rose
.
Her eyelashes were l
ong
and dark
.
Grace was a classic
beaut
y
with a lovely figure
.

They talked while they finished their tea and headed
to the garden with Grace’s maid Jenny following behind them
.

Once they reached the back of the garden, Jenny stated she would sit upon the bench whilst they walked in the wood
.

They ambled along the woodland path that cut through the wood and eventually branched off
to another path which led to Roseland Abbey
.
They had both used the path many times when they were children
.

“What will you do to occupy your time while I am gone, Grace?” Owen asked her as they walked along.

“I shall read and walk
.
Perhaps ride some
.
And I daresay I shall eagerly await the post
looking
for your letters
from Italy
!” She smiled up at him
.

“
You shall receive many letters from me, Grace
, I
assure
you
.
You
can
always visit Libby
at Roseland
.
I think sometimes she misses female company
.
Aunt Priscilla carries on rather one-sided conversations.
”
Owen
grinned
.
He
guessed Grace was often lonely at Radley
. He
sensed Squire Brackenridge
didn’t give his daughter much attention.
That would change in three months time
!
Once Owen
returned and
took Grace to wife, she’d have plenty of attention from her husband
.
The thought warmed him.

Again
Owen
had that
foreboding
feeling that he should not go to Italy and leave Grace behind
.
He decided it was utter foolishness
.
He must be a fool in love
!

“I will
visit Libby
, Owen
.
I am so happy to be back at Hartland among true friends.”

“I am happy you returned to us, Grace.”
Owen removed her hand from his arm
and
entwined
his
fingers
with
hers
.
He liked the way her hand felt in his
.
He looked down to see her smiling up at him
.
Lord, but Grace was a beautiful woman
.
“So you mentioned earlier you ride
.
Would you like to ride with me tomorrow afternoon?”

“I would love to, Owen
.
I do enjoy riding.”

“
Perfect
.
W
e shall
ride
tomorrow afternoon
.”

He stopped walking
. Owen turned to Grace
and placed his hands on
her
trim
waist
.
He
eased
her against him and
bent his head, touc
hing his forehead to hers.
“Oh Grace, I wish I didn’t have to le
ave you for three months,
”
he whispered.
Owen feathered his lips against hers gently
.
Then covering her lips fully, he demanded entrance into her sweet mouth
.
Grace
responded eagerly
, and once again t
hey both
became
lost in
their kiss
.
P
assion
sparked and grew
between them
.

Grace allowed her hands to rest against Owen’s hard, muscled chest as she lost herself
in their heated kiss
.
Warmth
consumed her
.
Her legs trembled as their tongues entwined and Owen gathered her
in his embrace, pulling her
even closer against him.
Her body molded against his hard, muscled frame.
The fire in her belly grew and there was that curious feeling between her legs again
, a
n ache
.
Grace whimpered softly when Owen drew his head up
.
She looked into his dark blue eyes
.

“Grace,
please have mercy on me and set my mind at ease. P
romise
me
you’ll wait for me to return
from Italy
.”

“Yes, Owen,” she nodded, a happy smile turning up the corners of her mouth, “I promise
I will wait for you
.
I want to wait for you.
”

Owen grinned, “
Grace
, y
ou’ve made me
very
happy!
”
Owen kissed her again
, d
eeply.
He pulled away
.
D
ipp
ing
his head,
he allowed his
lips
to
travel
along
the curve of her slender neck
then across
her shoulder
.
H
e
moved upward again and nibbled on her earlobe
.
He paused to inhale the tantalizing scent of lilies
. Remembering he should remain a gentleman, he pulled away
, albeit reluctantly
.
“Grace,” he sighed against her ear
before he straightened fully
.

He kept her hand in his as the
y
continued along the path
.
They talked and laughed, their fingers
remain
ing
entwined.
They were both
relaxed and
easy in one another’s company
.

Grace could never remember being happier.

Neither could Owen
.

They had taken tea with her father and now Grace and Owen raced across the moorland near Radley and R
oseland
.
Owen rode a large bay while
Grace rode her sweet-tempered chestnut mare
.

Grinning, Owen pointed to a
dense
wood across the moor
.
“Let’s go
in that direction
, there’s something I want to show you
.
”

They slowed as they neared the wood
.
When they reached the tree line, Owen stopped and dismounted
.
He was surpr
ised but thankful the Squire did
not sent a groom along with them
.
He c
ame immediately to Grace’s side. He
reached up and placed his hands about her
slim
waist
, his fingers splayed against the gentle swell of her hips
.
He let her slide against his body as he set her on her feet
.
Lord, but
her
soft
, warm curves felt like heaven against him
.
His hands remained at
her waist
.
He bent
and brushed his lips against hers before
leaving her side to tie the horses up
.