Page 31 of Once Upon a Reckless Rogue
“Yes, but I must check him out first, but if he is still on the right side, I am sure he will give us a bed to sleep in.”
It took considerably more effort than they thought to move the donkey off the road and to move the cart. It then took a few hours to go through their supplies to narrow down their belongings to only that which was necessary.
They swam in the sea and napped on the beach. They built a fire and cooked what they had that they could not take with them. They drank wine and toasted their departed friend. Then they made camp for the night, looking up at the stars and listening to the waves break on the shore. It was like they were the only two people on Earth.
“Are there beaches in England, Tomas?”
“There certainly are. And cliffs too. We are an island after all.”
She turned her head towards him. “I did not know that. Tell me more about your home, where you live with your mother and sister June.”
“All right. The estate is called Milford.”
“What is an estate?”
“It is a parcel of land.”
“You have land?”
“Yes, on the estate.”
“Should I be calling you Mister Markham?”
“Please do not. Most call me Captain Markham as I am still on active duty.”
“So how big is this estate of yours?”
“We have three hundred acres of land. We have a half dozen tenants and we have a small village with several shops. The river Milford runs through the estate, and it supplies us with a good number of trout and other fish, depending on the time of year. You will be happy to know we have an orchard with apples and pears but unfortunately no orange trees.”
“Why no orange trees?”
“I’ve been told it is too cold for them. Some people grow them in glass houses that keep the temperature warm, but we have no such structure.”
“You will miss the heat from Spain when you go.”
“That is not what I will miss.”
“The oranges?”
He chuckled. “No.” He gathered her up in his arms and looked deep into her eyes. “I will miss you.”
“You will not miss me. I am stubborn and want to control everything.”
“All that is true, but how could I not miss when you flash those sea-green eyes at me?” He kissed her eyelids. “The way your summer hair shines in the sun.” He ran his fingers through silken tresses. “Or the way your lips feel when I kiss you. That is what I will miss.” He took her lips in a soft, lingering kiss.
Elena felt her heart breaking. He was going to leave her. It was certain. She returned his kisses almost desperately. She wanted to make love to him under the stars. To hold him on the Spanish sands with the Spanish heat all around them.
Tomas understood what her questing fingers were saying as he peeled her clothes from her body. “You are so beautiful, Elena.” He shrugged out of his shirt and let her run her hands over his chest. She skimmed every inch of his upper body trying to commit every texture and contour to memory.
Tomas kissed his way down her body, stopping at her belly button to dip his tongue and tasting the salt on her skin from their earlier bathing. When he reached the apex of her thighs, he skimmed over her most intimate part. She gasped, lifting her hips. He slid one finger inside gently, testing to see how ready she was. When she moaned, he replaced his finger with his tongue and laved at that part of her until she cried out in completion, her hands held fast in his hair.
He did not wait for her to come back down to him but buried himself deep within her, causing her to climax again. She called his name as they set a rhythm together, their bodies slick with sweat as she cradled him between her legs, her hips lifting to match his thrusts. He could not stop and took her body over and over again until they were both exhausted and fell asleep wrapped around each other.
Chapter Nine
The town looked the same as it had when Thomas had traveled through it a few months ago. His back ached from carrying the huge load from the cart, and his arm pained him more than he liked. They stopped just outside the inn.
“Let me talk to the inn keeper and once we are settled into a room I will order a bath for you.”
