This one's been lurking on the laptop for a while – ta muchly to East of Fenchurch for requesting the category, bless her.
If you haven't seen the TV drama, all you really need to know is that Byron is a pain in the posterior and Will Fletcher (played by the lovely Phil Glenister) is a saint in a waistcoat and breeches! Now read on …
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Rood By Name …
Chapter 1
"Marry me, Annie …"
He gazed up at her from under those impossibly long lashes, and her eyes filled with tears as she thanked God for this late chance at happiness.
"Oh William. Of course I will!"
He struggled up off one knee and wrapped his arms round her, brushing her lips tenderly with his before deepening the kiss, his tongue slowly exploring her mouth, teasing, tasting as her fingers threaded through his hair. Reluctantly they came up for air and he smiled happily down at her.
"Thank God yer didn't keep me waitin' too long fer an answer. At my age I might not 'ave been able to get up again!"
She glanced pointedly down at his crotch and raised an eyebrow suggestively.
"Oh, I do hope there's some life in the old dog yet."
"Just let me prove it to yer, lass. After all, we are engaged now."
He kissed her again more forcefully, his hands squeezing her backside, and she pushed him away laughing.
"None of that till the wedding night …"
He groaned, sitting down at the table and shaking his head in mock-despair.
"But that'll be weeks away at the very least. And at our age we can't afford ter waste any time, we should grab our opportunities wi' both hands …"
He reached for her breasts and she backed away, mouth twitching with suppressed amusement.
"Well, don't think you're grabbing me before I'm legally obliged to let you, Will Fletcher. I'm a respectable woman …"
He laughed ruefully, dragging her down into his lap and nuzzling the sensitive spot he'd recently discovered on her neck.
"More's the pity …"
A shiver of desire ran through her, and she tried unsuccessfully to ignore the strong pulse that had started up between her thighs. Being held closely against his broad chest combined with the clean masculine scent of him and the feel of his hands gently stroking her back had her body thrumming with need. She extricated herself reluctantly from his embrace before she did something she might regret.
"Right, time for bed."
He kissed her hand, grinning wickedly up at her.
"Thought yer'd never ask …"
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Sleep eluded her for a long time that night, her mind wholly occupied with thoughts of him. She dozed, reliving the unexpected sweetness of his kisses, the blissful sensation of his warm lips travelling over her neck, the feel of his strong arms wrapped tightly round her and squirmed lasciviously under the covers wondering just how much longer she could resist his advances.
She'd been attracted to him from the first, not just by his tall, long-limbed body and blond good looks but also by his intelligence and understated wit. Lord Byron led him a merry dance and he bore it all stoically with resigned good humour, putting up with more than most men would.
They fell easily into a close friendship and as the attraction on both sides became clear they starting "walking out together", as her mother would have put it. So far she'd managed to restrict their amorous encounters to kissing and cuddling, but every time they were together it was getting harder. She chuckled at her own double entendre, and her thoughts strayed to the contents of his breeches as they often did nowadays. She knew instinctively that he would be a sensitive, generous lover from the way he touched her, and it had been too long since she'd enjoyed the delights of a man in her bed. She sighed and rolled over, fervently wishing the wedding could be organised as quickly as possible, fearing she wouldn't be able to resist his masculine charms much longer. She was only human, after all.
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The next few days were delicious torture. He took every opportunity to sneak up on her, his kisses ever more demanding and his hands roaming over as much of her as he could get away with. Her body was on fire for him, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to slap his hand away when his fingers skimmed over a breast or kneaded her behind. She knew he was suffering just as badly, she'd felt him hard against her hip and heard his groan of frustration as she pulled away from him yet again. He needed to speak to Byron about the wedding before they could fix a date but the house was full of visitors and there hadn't been an opportunity as yet, so they were no closer to becoming man and wife.
She knew it would be easier if she kept him at arms length, but she couldn't help it, she craved his passionate kisses and the touch of his sensual fingers, even though it left them both burning with repressed desire.
They had the kitchen to themselves one evening as most of the staff had the night off and the remaining few had retired to their beds after a busy day. His Lordship was "entertaining" some elegant female in his room, and had passed William a bottle of claret with a lascivious wink and told him he would not be needed again until morning.
She topped up both their glasses, starting to feel nicely mellow, and he patted his lap with a lustful grin.
"Sit here, wench, and we'll talk about the first thing that pops up ..."
She smirked, aware that the wine was going to her head but past caring.
"I'm not sure that's wise, Will. I do have my virtue to consider."
He snorted, pulling her down onto his knee and probing her mouth temptingly, his tongue sliding sensually over hers, sending her dizzy with desire. His lips dropped to suck on the soft skin behind her ear and she moaned as his hand cupped a breast, her nipple growing hard under his skilful fingers. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and she could feel his erection trapped against her thigh as his mouth moved lower to press little butterfly kisses slowly along her collarbone and down towards her cleavage. She sighed into his hair and he looked up into her flushed face.
"God, woman … yer're killing me here …"
His voice was a tortured groan, his silver eyes glazed with lust as she dipped her head to nibble his lower lip, not wanting to see him suffer any longer.
"I love you, Will Fletcher."
Slowly she began to unbutton his breeches, and his eyes widened in surprise as she freed his impressive member and ran her fingers up and down it teasingly. Her voice was low and husky.
"Oh my, you are a big boy."
He gasped as a thumb swiped gently across the sensitive head.
"Sweet Jesus, Ann. I hope you intend ter finish what yer've started."
She smiled wickedly and took him firmly in hand, working his length slowly at first and then picking up the pace as he urged her on, his head thrown back in ecstasy.
"Faster … oh, Christ, that's so good … I'm coming … fuck, yeeesss …"
He spilled into her hand with a groan of relief, eyes closed, breathing hard, and she moved over to the sink to clean herself up. He was still panting when she turned back to him, but there was a naughty glint in his eye and the hint of a smile playing around his lips. His voice was a low growl causing the pulse between her legs to become an insistent throb.
"Get back over here now, yer dirty girl."
She flopped down into his lap again, smoothing a lock of hair off his brow.
"Better, love?"
"Much. But surely yer don't think I'm goin' ter leave you high and dry?"
He moved his hand slowly, teasingly up under her dress and along the soft skin of her inner thigh, and she protested weakly.
"Will, you don't have to …"
"Shhh, luv, and let me return the favour."
His thumb reached its target and began to rub in little teasing circles and she gasped, spreading her thighs wider for him as her arousal started to build.
"Oh please … don't stop …"
He chuckled, loving how wet he was making her, squeezing an erect nipple through her dress as she moaned wantonly, wriggling in his lap. His expert touch drove her ever closer to climax until her thighs began to quiver and she came apart in his hands, shuddering and gasping his name.
"Will! Oh God … ohhhh … yeesss …"
He wrapped her in his arms and she nestled into his neck, breathing him in, basking in the afterglow as her heart rate gradually slowed. After a while, she sat up and looked into his face in wonderment.
"No-one ever did anything like that before."
He grinned proudly, pecking her tenderly on the lips.
"So. Are yer finally going to come upstairs to me bed and let me make love to you properly?"
She gazed adoringly into his beautiful silver-grey eyes and nodded, stroking his cheek. After all, he felt like her husband already.
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I don't expect many reviews for this, but if one or two people like it I'll post the concluding chapter.
If you do stumble over it and enjoy, please let me know!