If Only I Could

Chapter 21

"Mmmmhhh…."

"Good morning…"

"Good morning, darling…"

"Ohh… that's nice…"

"Gods yes! Can you..? Yes, like that – that feels so good…"

"…harder, a little harder… that's it! Ahhhhhh…"

And so it went on. The lovers in their secretly shared bed had barely been conscious when their bodies already searched for each other. Marianne's hand, firmly wrapped around Brandon's erection while his hand found its way between her legs and they'd hardly opened their eyes. The need for more contact made him then spoon her tight, nudging his member against her divine posterior, his arm wrapped around her so that he could still reach her core. She lifted her knee so that he could position himself better between her legs.

"Oh yes…" he sighed, ready to push home – and then he remembered.

"Oh, not just yet, darling. Hold that thought," and with that he withdrew. Marianne chuckled. She had remembered the same thing just at the same time. He simply rolled to his back one arm still under Marianne's neck, and he managed to fish what he was looking for form the bedside drawer.

"Open that for me?" he asked, passing the packet to his lover. She did as he asked and unrolled the device enough so he was able to slip it on one handed.

"Now where were we?" he asked with a smile as he wrapped himself around her again, his mouth planting hot kisses on her neck. She pushed her bottom back against him as a reminder.

"That's it!" he whispered and with her help pushed in. Words seized to exist and all the pair was capable of voicing after that were an assortment of moans, sighs, and incoherent whispers along with heavy breathing.

His strokes were lovely, slow and tender. His let his fingers rest against her clit flat and firm and their joint movements created the most glorious pressure and friction against her sensitive nub. Soon they both needed more. Marianne reached back and grabbed Brandon by his neck, pulling him closer until he understood that she wanted him to roll on top of her. Her legs now spread open, his knees between them and his body pressed against her back all the way from their joined pelvises to his mouth on her neck Brandon was certain he was in heaven. He carried his weight on his elbows, but he stayed as closely pressed against her as he dared as he started on a more brisk rhythm, pushing deeper than before. Her bottom against his front felt divine.

"So lovely… so lovely… Marianne…"

"Gods yes… more… do what you want…" was all that the young woman was able to voice at his point. His weight on her like that turned her on more than she ever could have imagined. Increasing both the strength and the cadence of his strokes, neither were, again, capable more than moans and sighs now, and soon Marianne's moans turned into continuous wail as she felt her orgasm approach. She met his strokes pushing back against him and soon she was there, enveloped in ecstasy and him and riding such a full completion she could barely remember to muffle her cry by sinking her face into her pillow. He followed soon after, pushing his face into the same pillow as his hips jerked the last out of him.

Returning to the land of the cognisant and aware took its time. Gradually Brandon was able to move off her and roll to one side of the bed and she raised her head off the pillow to look at him. Both were still breathing heavy and were covered in sweat.

"You are something else," she said, smiling. That's how he made her feel: smiling, happy. Their love-making was full of smiles and warmth and laughter and every time their bodies came together their minds and spirits did so too.

"I could say that about you," he smiled back, reaching to rearrange a wild strand of hair off her cheek.

"I hope we weren't too loud. We'll be no good at this sneaking around thing if everyone can hear us," she then giggled. He laughed too. It was a genuine concern, but right at this very moment he couldn't really bring himself to care too much. She was too precious to him to really mind. If they could keep this under wraps, great, but if not then not. Whatever happened, he wasn't going to let go of Marianne just because of appearances. He'd tried that already and it hadn't worked.

All the same, when he was just about to pull her closer to him, there was a knock at his door. The pair stopped all movement – probably even forgot to breathe – and just looked at each other.

"Crap!" he whispered and jumped out of bed, reaching for the pair of pyjama bottoms on a chair. Marianne grabbed the duvet and rolled herself off the bed, hiding flat on the floor behind it. Whoever it was, unless they came in they shouldn't be able to see her. The knock was repeated and this time it came with a tentative half-whispered "Marianne?" It was Elinor. Brandon let out sigh and went to the door. Marianne collected herself off the floor and sat on the bed. No use hiding from Elinor.

Brandon opened the door slightly. Elinor was a friend, but that did not mean he was comfortable facing her in his pyjama bottoms only. Especially as he felt he was still sweaty from the love-making and rather sticky down below as well.

"Sorry to disturb you, but I thought you should know that Mother is about to go see Marianne any moment now to ask if she can borrow a jumper. She's not in her room so I can only guess she's here." Elinor explained in a very business-like fashion. She was as embarrassed as Brandon. The man sighed and opened the door a little more, just enough so that Elinor could see the sheet-clad Marianne on the bed.

"Ok. Thank you Elinor – I owe you. I hadn't realised the time." Marianne said. Elinor just nodded.

"I'll see you later, I'll go and try and keep Mum downstairs a little longer," she said and just turned away. Brandon shut the door and turned to look at Marianne. For a moment they just stared, slightly horrified at being caught like this like a pair of teenagers, but then the natural comedy of the situation took over and they both burst out laughing.

"That could have ended badly," Marianne then reminded him, though still not quite seriously.

"Yes. We better be a bit more careful today. But don't think I don't want to keep away from you all day," he said. She got dressed again and without further ado he cracked the door open again to check the corridor.

"The coast is clear," he whispered, as if he was a character in a heist movie.

"On a count of three," she joined in the game. He opened the door again a little more and together they counted.
"One, two, three," at which point Marianne placed one more kiss onto his lips, giggled and then dashed down the hallway into her own room. Oh well, so much for sharing a shower this morning, but oh boy what a start to the day! Brandon thought as he closed the door and leaned against it for a moment.

It had been a close call. Marianne had just got back into her room when her mother had knocked. Yes, she wanted to borrow a pullover if Marianne didn't mind, as the weather seemed a little cooler than Anne had anticipated. Luckily Marianne had a spare one. A quick breakfast later they were all at the stables and Marianne was certain that Christopher was blushing every time Elinor looked at him. And her cheeky sister was making sure she was giving pointed looks at both of them at regular intevals. Marianne had a good mind to ask Edward if he knew what a menace he'd married!

As promised, Christopher hogged Marianne as his pupil and Sir John had one of his more mischievous glints in his eye when he introduced Margaret to a young-looking stable hand, Andy, as her teacher and guide for the morning. Margaret clearly didn't know where to look. On one hand she seemed keen and excited enough about the riding and the horses, but now there was this boy. A nice, good-looking boy. Adele and Anne went off together and Sir John took on Elinor and Edward. Everyone was sorted with helmets, and Margaret and Marianne needed to borrow boots as well – it would have been a tall order to assume a these town girls to have anything with a sensible heels that wasn't a pair of Converse.

A smaller enclosure at the back became the location for the beginner's class. Walking in the ring, first with someone walking the horse but quite soon independently, was the first number and there was a lot of excitement in the air. Marianne had trouble concentrating at first: Christopher had come downstairs earlier in his riding kit: black, worn jodhpurs, well-seasoned boots, a shirt and a light Barbour waistcoat, black as well. She wondered if the man had any idea how sexy he looked in his gear? Even Elinor had acknowledged this by nudging her sister in the ribs gently and nodding Brandon's way wiggling her eyebrows to indicate her appreciation of that particular male form. Not that Edward was doing too badly either: snug-fitting jeans, light hiking boots and a checked shirt made him look all the country boy he actually wasn't.

More work in the enclosure was eventually followed by a light lunch outdoors, and then Sir John declared how he thought everyone was ready for some free riding anywhere they wanted on the estate. Margaret, having quite easily been the quickest learner even made an audible gasp that allowed the others to see how excited she was. She'd probably already become a little bored with he gentle exercises they'd been doing in the enclosure. She exchanged a shy smile with Andy and they excused themselves quickly to saddle a horse for Andy and be off.

"Don't worry, Anne. Andy has been here for years. Started when he was just 12 – his father works for me too. It's not the first time he's instructing someone and he is absolutely trustworthy." John had read Anne's mind when she'd almost stopped her daughter from going just yet. In no time the saw the two heading over to a larger field on their horses, waving at the rest of the party.

Brandon was certain he probably hadn't taken his eyes off Marianne the entire day. She'd dressed in tight jeans (she'd told him they were a bit stretchy when he'd asked if she was certain she'd be comfortable in them) and a denim jacket, and she looked phenomenal on her horse. He couldn't help but wish and hope that she would enjoy today and perhaps he'd finally have some company for when he went riding. Long rides through John's impressive estate were something Brandon enjoyed so much that he sometimes packed a lunch with him and stayed out all day, just exploring as long as the horse was happy.

Brandon and Marianne stayed on the same larger field by the stables where Margaret and Andy had gone earlier, but by that time neither youngster was to be seen: Margaret was a natural, that much was obvious, and Andy had taken her to a trail in the woods. Anne and Adele had called it a day after lunch and were now relaxing with a little sherry, observing the others.

"Look how nice they look together!" Adele sighed as they watched Marianne learn to command her horse to a light gallop.

"They do seem to get on very well," Anne admitted, the continued:

"But he gets on very well with Elinor as well, perhaps he's just a nice man."

"Of course he's a nice man, but I don't buy it for a second that he's spoken for," Adele said. Anne didn't reply, just kept her eyes on Marianne who looked so carefree and happy just then. She smiled at Brandon – an open and happy smile – and she had an air of confidence about her the Anne hadn't seen much in the past year.

"So what do you know about him seeing someone?" Anne then asked. She was becoming more curious now.

"John's been trying to set him up for ages, and he just always refuses. Hardly ever asks any of the women out and for quite some time now he hasn't called any one of them. John says Brandon's not the type to casually try things out and so he won't play the dating game. He has to be truly interested in something genuine if he is to go out with someone. Then, John goes to see him, and what does he find: indisputable evidence of intimate encounters with a woman. John wouldn't tell me what it was but assured me that it was 100% proof and Brandon could not deny it."

Anne raised her eyebrows.

"Well, then I'm not sure why we're talking about Marianne and Brandon like this. He has someone, and Marianne is seeing someone so much so that she's even stayed away a couple nights."

"No. There's something here that we're missing, and until we are introduced to these other people properly, I'm not going to believe that they are the real deal for either of them. Tell me, you do like Brandon, don't you, Anne?" Adele asked, having yet another sip of her sherry. At this rate she'd be well sloshed by dinner time.

"He seems nice. But that's just it, I don't know him much, really," Anne confessed. Maybe there would be time to talk to him a bit over the weekend?

Elinor joined the older women at this point, feeling her bottom getting a little sore. Edward and Sir John were heading out to a trail as well after Marianne and Brandon.
"Who seems nice?" Elinor asked, wondering if she'd regret asking this.

"Brandon, a fine specimen of a man, and I've been telling your mother that he and your sister should get togheter. It's as plain as day." Adele announced. The sherry she had consumed was lowering the last of her inhibitions when it came to calling a spade a spade. Elinor simply nodded. She'd better keep well clear of this topic now and hope she would not be needed to carry out any more protective duty during their stay. This morning had been quite enough – she'd as good as interrupted those two in the middle of things that were none of her business!