Thank you for your responses, for your interest and for your continued support. I appreciate it.
I do not own Merlin or the characters, neither do I own Truce: The Historic Neighbor from Hell.
Arthur had no words at Gwen's question, he could only chuckle.
He leaned down and kissed her.
"Yes, minx, we can do it again."
He punctuated every word with a slow thrust of his hardening shaft.
He took her slowly this time, enjoying every single thrust inside her body.
She was passionate, very passionate. But she wasn't content with lying there while he bedded her.
She kissed his mouth, chin, and neck greedily, while her hands ran through his hair, down his back, and finally cupped his ass.
And Arthur would swear that she moaned with pleasure, just from touching him.
He broke the kiss and pulled back just far enough, so that he could watch her face.
She smiled shyly up at him.
She was so damn beautiful.
He slowed his rhythm and made his thrusts shallower, stressing each movement and watched as she licked her lips hungrily.
"You like that, don't you, minx?" he asked.
"Y-yes, please don't stop."
He shook his head.
"Never."
He gently took her hands and held them above her head, entwining their fingers as he made love to her.
And the gesture made what they were doing feel more intense.
Soon she was throwing her head back and whimpering. And Arthur took her mouth, kissing her deeply, as he quickened his thrusts inside her.
Gwen gripped his hands tightly, as his actions increased.
She lifted her legs and widened them, taking him as deep as she could.
And Arthur followed her lead, claiming her body completely, as her first and only lover.
A while later, he felt her body tighten around him once again. And knew there was no point in pulling out now.
The damage was already done.
Both exploded in the same moment, and he didn't bother trying to hide his pleasure this time.
They were too far away from the loud ballroom for anyone to hear them.
And even if they weren't, there was no way to stop him now.
"Oh...God!" he roared, as every muscle in his body contracted and every visible vein bulged.
Thoroughly spent, Arthur collapsed on top of Gwen, sweaty and sated.
He didn't know many women who appreciated a sweaty man on top of them, so he moved to roll off her, when her small warm arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding him in place.
His little minx pressed a soft kiss to his mouth. Then, she pulled him closer, while she ran her hands over his damp back in a soothing motion.
He kissed her cheek and was surprised when she sighed with pleasure. And he couldn't help but wonder, how women could be so completely different...she was different.
Gwen moved her head back, so that she could look into Arthur's blue eyes.
"Thank you for tonight. I'll always remember it," she said.
She looked and sounded so grateful, he couldn't imagine what he'd done for her, besides take her innocence without asking.
He shouldn't be thanked. He should be shot.
He sighed, shaking his head.
"Minx..."
"Shhh," she pressed a finger to his mouth. "I don't want you to feel guilty about this. It was perfect. This will always be the most passionate night of my life and I will always treasure it. Please don't be mad. I'm not."
"Minx," he began again, "You should be mad…what we did….what I did...was inexcusable. I..."
"No, no words, no apologies. Just let it remain this perfect moment between two strangers, who found comfort with each other."
'Comfort?' Arthur thought.
It was a hell of lot more than comfort.
It was intense, indescribable, and possibly the stupidest thing he'd ever done. Because, he'd just got himself leg shackled to this beautiful stranger.
With real regret, Arthur pulled away from Gwen's arms and started dressing.
"Listen, we need to talk."
"About what?" she asked, pulling on her stockings.
And he had to force himself to think about their situation and ignore those very beautiful legs of hers.
He shook himself.
"Minx, I just took your innocence. We need to marry now. And I think, at least proper introductions are in order. My name is..."
Gwen's small hand quickly covered his mouth.
"Please, don't. I need you to understand, I have no plans on marrying."
When he pulled back to protest she cut him off again.
"I have no wish to marry you. What you did for me tonight was a special gift. And I will always be grateful for it. Please allow me to keep this beautiful memory. Please."
After a long pause, Arthur reluctantly nodded.
There was no sense in arguing with her. He would never force a woman to do anything that she didn't want to do.
And he certainly wasn't about to thank this woman for the most wonderful night of his life, by robbing her of her freedom without justification.
"If that's what you wish, but I should give you my name in case..." His gaze dropped to her stomach, "...you and I made a child tonight," he finished quietly.
Gwen gasped softly.
She hadn't thought about that.
'A baby?'
Yes, she wanted children, desperately. Not that it would ever happen. Her mother told her, that it was impossible to become pregnant the first time.
It was unheard of.
So there was nothing to fear.
"There's nothing to worry about," she said, as she finished her hair, trying to reassure Arthur.
Her only hope, was that she looked presentable. Not that it mattered, because, as soon as she returned to the ball, she was leaving with a headache.
After such a wonderful time with this handsome man, she didn't want to ruin the memory, with the numerous insipid men she knew waited for her.
Arthur finished dressing as well.
"There's nothing to worry about? Minx, if you're carrying my child, I will certainly worry about it. I will never stand by while any of my children are raised without me. I'm not that sort of man."
'No,' she thought. Somehow, knew that he wasn't.
"Here," he said suddenly, as he searched his pockets.
He pulled out a small pencil stub and a small piece of parchment from his jacket pocket and wrote his name on it, knowing that he'd probably be out of the country by then.
For a moment, he thought about delaying his trip for a few months, to make sure that she wasn't pregnant, but he knew that it was impossible.
If she looked for him, she'd be able to quickly discover who his family was, and ask Henry for help.
And if he knew his brother...and he did...he knew he would move heaven and earth to bring her to him, so that they could marry immediately for the sake of the baby.
He'd have to remember to pull his brother aside later tonight, after they left the ball, to discuss the matter.
Arthur folded the note several times before handing it to her.
"Take this."
"No."
"I'm not trying to ruin this. If you should find yourself with child, open it and contact me or my brother, please."
When she didn't take it, he continued.
"If you don't take it, then I won't be able to allow you to leave, until I have your name."
With a heavy sigh, Gwen took the folded piece of parchment and placed it in her reticule.
"Happy?" she asked.
He smiled.
"Extremely."
"How's my hair?" she asked.
His smile took on a different meaning, as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Perfect."
"Shall I go first and make my excuses to leave?"
Arthur respectfully nodded.
"Thank you for a most wonderful evening, my little minx."
"The pleasure was mine, sir," she said, smiling shyly, as she turned away and headed for the door.
'Oh no, dear minx, it was definitely mine,' he thought as he watched her walk away.
Gwen forced herself to smile pleasantly and walk at a slow pace through the crowded ballroom, when all she wanted to do, was run away from the crowd and find somewhere quiet, where she could calm her racing heart.
Somehow, she managed to slip through the crowd, without drawing attention from any of her many unwanted suitors and, more importantly, her mother, as she made her way to a retiring room.
Without hesitation, she closed and locked the door behind her and sank down to the floor.
As she sat there, it only took a few seconds for reality sink in.
Her heart felt as though, it wanted to beat it's way out of her chest.
She'd just lost her virginity to a man that she didn't know, at a crowded ball. And as wonderful as it had been, she couldn't help but think of what could've happened, if someone had found them or if he'd turned out to be a fortune hunter.
She realized at this moment, she could've been in fact, forced to announce her engagement to a man that she didn't know.
Her entire future could've been ruined in a matter of minutes, all because she allowed herself to be carried away in a moment of weakness.
She'd been so foolish and so incredibly lucky at the same time.
How could she have done something so irrational?
She had a plan for her life and it most certainly didn't involve making love to a man she didn't know, in a well-lit orangery, where anyone could have stumbled upon them.
In a matter of months, she was going to turn twenty-four and gain control over her inheritance. Then, she would move to her north estate, where she would live out the rest of her life, away from the nonsense of Britain's high society.
She'd been such a foolish woman tonight, allowing herself to be swept away by a deep alluring voice, good looks, beautiful eyes and an overwhelming need to do the wrong thing.
She'd been helpless to deny him.
When his lips had touched hers, it felt like a fire had been lit in her body and she couldn't seem to get enough of him.
Her cheeks burned with humiliation.
What he must think of her!
The things they did!
The things she did!
A rather disturbing thought occurred to her, then.
What if they ran into each other at another ball or a party?
Would he expect a repeat of tonight?
Would she allow it?
It scared her how quickly she was able to answer that question.
Yes, she would.
If she was given another opportunity to be in this man's arms, she would not hesitate even for a minute.
She'd risk everything for another moment with him.
Knowing how weak she was, when it came to the handsome stranger and what was at risk, she decided there was only one course of action left for her.
She had to leave London sooner than she'd originally planned.
"There you are!" Lady Pendragon said brightly, too damn brightly.
Arthur glanced around the large ballroom, hoping to find his minx. True to her word, it seemed she had left.
Now, he was left at this dreadful ball with memories of her.
He could simply ask around about her, but then, that would put them in an awkward position.
People would want to know why he was interested and tongues would start wagging.
Maybe, if he continued to go with his mother out on the town for the next few weeks, he would run into her.
It was possible.
And, given the way his night was going, anything was possible.
"Oh, Arthur, Lord and Lady Abbot are waiting to see you. They're so excited. They haven't seen you since you were..."
"Fifteen," he supplied on a bored sigh.
That was when he finally put his foot down and refused to be anywhere near Guinevere Abbot.
It was also the year the little brat poured ink into his damn teacup, in front of the beautiful Vivian Hastings, who screamed her bloody head off before she'd fainted dead away, when she saw his black mouth.
He'd almost killed the little brat then and there.
"That sounds about right. Come along," his mother said, placing her hand on his sleeve.
No one in this ballroom would suspect that she had his arm in a death grip, that would no doubt leave a large bruise.
Not that he minded.
He had other marks on his body from his little minx. He barely stopped himself from grinning like an idiot. She truly was wonderful, he thought, just before he spotted Lady Abbot standing next to a few young women, making his smile disappear instantly.
"She's not waiting with her mother, is she?" Arthur asked.
"Who?" his mother queried.
"Guinevere Abbot," he said tightly, in absolutely no mood for any of his mother's games tonight.
She patted his arm.
"No, my dear. She is somewhere around. It's too bad. You're both so much alike."
"Take that that back or you will never have any grandchildren by me," Arthur threatened, insulted that his mother would say something so horrible about him.
She rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Fine. I won't mention her again. So touchy," she said quietly, as they reached Lord and Lady Abbot.
"Arthur, my boy," Lord Abbot said with a warm smile, as he reached out and took his hand firmly into his own.
The man was graying, but was still an impressive sight.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, my Lord."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lady Abbot whisper something into Victoria's ear.
He couldn't believe how huge the woman was.
Maybe the little brat, Gwen was too.
'If only,' he thought with an inward sigh.
He watched, as Victoria shot her mother an annoyed look, before she curtsied and walked away, clearly displeased with whatever her mother had said.
Just then, his father and brother walked over and joined them.
One glance at his mother's pleased expression and Arthur knew that she was up to something.
She kept looking around the large crowd expectantly and then back at Henry, before she looked at his father, who nodded slightly, as if to answer a silent question.
'Oh hell, poor Henry,' Arthur thought.
Their parents, it seemed, were playing matchmaker tonight.
He knew that expression on his mother's face and actually feared the day when it was focused on him, which was another reason why he was leaving.
"Arthur my boy, your father was telling me about your new estate. Congratulations!" Lord Abbot said, with a warm smile, that was nothing like the fake smile his wife currently had plastered to her face.
"Thank you, my Lord," he said, not bothering to mention that he no longer owned that estate.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lord and Lady Abbot part. And a second later, a young woman was practically shoved between them.
He saw Henry gasp and his eyes widen. But his mother looked very pleased, as did his father.
So Arthur turned around to see what they were looking at and smiled in surprise.
It was his little minx.
"Henry, Arthur, you remember our youngest daughter, Guinevere, don't you?" Lady Abbot said proudly.
'Oh, hell!' Arthur swore internally, and immediately, the smile faded from his face.
Uh-oh!
Stay safe!