"Good morning, Miss Isobel," Marcus said softly, finding her sitting prettily under the rose arbor, where she observed the servants setting up the canopy for the next day. "You look lovely this morning, but I'm surprised to find you out here so early."
"I was awake at dawn, unable to go back to sleep," she replied. "You are out early yourself, sir." Her eyes took in his casual appearance, his white shirt open at the collar, tucked into fitted dark trousers.
"I was restless, I've had enough sleep this last week. May I sit down?" He looked at the spot beside her on the bench.
"Of course," she murmured, shifting to the edge of the bench. "You are feeling better?"
"Very much so, thanks to your tender care," he told her, with a twinkle in his eyes. "Your kiss must have done the trick."
Izzie drew a trembling breath, remembering that kiss in vivid detail. As a matter of fact, that kiss was the very reason she was unable to sleep. She twisted her fingers in her lap, trying to think of some flirtatious comment to make, but nothing came to mind. She wasn't accustomed to this kind of thing, and she bit her lip, looking away from his face. And his lips, which she longed to feel against hers again. A hot little quiver ran along her spine at the thought.
"Oh, sir, you tease me," she finally murmured.
Marcus reached over and placed his warm hand over her twisting fingers, and she finally had to look at him. "I'm sorry, I don't wish to tease you," he said, his voice deep and reassuring. "I forget you are not as bold as the women from the court, my dear. I should go."
"No, please...stay," she found herself saying, not wanting him to remove his hand from hers.
"Are you sure?" He gave her a smile, and her heart flipped in her chest.
"Very sure," she replied, drawn to him hesitantly. Then she remembered where they were, and she pulled back, suddenly mindful of the servants scurrying back and forth.
"Come, take a walk with me. I need to stretch my legs," he urged her, getting to his feet, and pulling her along with him. "I thought I might find Derek out at the stables, but he's nowhere to be found. The groom said that his horse is not in his stall, so he must be out riding."
"Then Meredith must be with him," Izzie commented, as they strolled out into the garden. "I expected to find her out here as well, but she's not."
Marcus chuckled knowingly. "Aha, of course. They've escaped for a final bit of time alone before the madness."
"You're calling the wedding madness? Is that how you view marriage?"
"No, of course not - just the procedure. I envy the happiness Derek has found with Miss Grey, though I can't imagine myself in the same position."
"So, you don't think you will ever marry?" Izzie asked.
"One day, I'm quite sure, when I find the right woman. I am the youngest son in my family, so there is no great need to produce an heir." They stopped walking, watching the ducks gliding through the water in the pond. Izzie felt the solid strength of his arm beneath her fingertips, and caught a faint whiff of his spicy cologne, as he turned to look at her. "I meant to thank you for tending to me after I was injured. I know it wasn't what you were expecting to do when you came out here for the wedding. I do appreciate it."
Izzie felt her cheeks turning pink. "Oh...you're welcome," she murmured, caught by the expression in his eyes.
"Isobel...I would very much like to kiss you again," he said, leaning in towards her.
"Oh...yes..." Izzie responded, lifting her face to his, closing her eyes, as his arms went around her. Her whole body tingled as she was pressed firmly against his muscular strength, and her thoughts were scrambled. She wanted this so badly, her legs felt like jelly as she waited breathlessly.
His lips slanted across hers softly, his moustache tickling her, before he increased the pressure bit by bit. Her lips parted under his, and she moaned as his tongue invaded her mouth, sweeping along hers, until she eagerly responded. Hot, wet need raced through her, and a delicious ache began to throb in her core. Throwing caution to the wind, she wound her arms around his neck, pulling him down closer. Her breasts crushed against him, her nipples suddenly hard. Little ripples of desire feathered down her spine, as she molded herself against him. His hands rested on her waist, his thumbs rubbing against the thin dress, and she let herself get carried away in the strange sensations he aroused in her.
Marcus felt her trembling against him, and he desperately tried to rein in his own raging lust that had ignited in his veins. She was so delectably sweet, so eager for his kisses, so obviously willing to go along with this, that he had to remind himself she was still innocent. Most likely still a virgin, the thought hammered in his brain, but his body was not listening. Just a few kisses, a few caresses - she was damnably tempting. His mouth moved from hers, trailing down her throat, to where her pulse beat rapidly. His hands moved lower, cupping her derriere, so that her body rubbed more intimately against the demanding ridge of his cock.
Izzie was lost in the torrent of feelings that rushed through her. His hard maleness should have shocked her, but she wanted more, wondering how that would feel pressing where she ached and throbbed. Wondered what his body would feel naked, the planes of muscle under her fingertips if he were on top of her in bed.
They drew apart at last, shaken and breathless. "Forgive me, Isobel...I'm letting myself take advantage of you, I fear..."
"I want this," she protested. Her fingers traced the line of his cheek, coming to rest against his lips. He captured her hand and drew her finger into his mouth, his tongue winding sensuously around it, and she moaned. How could that make her ache between her legs, yet it did...
He released her finger, his dark eyes smoldering with desire for her. "I don't wish to rush you into something you will regret, Isobel. And giving your virginity to me - yes I know you are still a virgin, despite your eagerness - may not be the best thing to do. What if you wish to marry someday?" Her lush mouth trembled, her tongue sweeping along her bottom lip, and he tightened, thoughts of that tongue sweeping along his cock.
"Oh, m'lord..." Her soft eyes pleaded with him. "I want you..." Izzie shocked herself by saying it, but it was true. She wanted more of this heady, delightful pleasure, and she wanted him to be the one to give it to her. "I must be wicked, saying such a thing..."
"No, never wicked," he assured her. "There are many things I can do to give you pleasure that won't destroy your virginity, if you truly mean this..." His hands cupped her breasts, feeling them warm and firm against his palms. He could feel her heat through the dress, and he could barely think of what he wanted to say next.
"Yes... oh yes..." she murmured. "Please..."
Marcus groaned with suppressed need, kissing her again, thinking this was madness. "All right, then, sweetheart, I will come to you tonight," he told her, breaking the kiss.
"Tonight? That's so far away..." Izzie pouted, longing to continue with their kisses right now.
Marcus laughed seductively. "Patience, my dear. This is not the time or place to carry out an erotic rendezvous - I would prefer to be comfortable, in a nice soft bed, with your pretty little body next to mine, where nobody will interrupt us."
Her thoughts swam with the images his words portrayed, and she gulped. "All right, m'lord..tonight then...." Then she gasped. "Wait, this is the wedding eve, Meredith may want my company tonight."
"We'll find a way to work this out," he assured her, kissing her fingertips.
⚜️⚜️⚜️
Meanwhile, Meredith and Derek still laid entwined on the blanket, listening to the soft sounds of the waterfall, reluctant to get up and head back to the manor. His hand rested on her belly, caressing the smooth skin. "Are you any more certain you are carrying my child?" he asked softly, kissing her temple.
Meredith laughed. "According to Izzie, I am certainly pregnant. She has seen her share of women having babies, and tells me I have the look about me. I feel it myself, Derek, though I have no experience to go on. Just instinct, I suppose. I feel different somehow." She wasn't about to go into detail with him, she thought in amusement.
His eyes warmed even more at her words. "Then we truly are blessed already, my beloved girl." He reached across her and plucked a little wildflower, and tucked in behind her ear. "I love you, Meredith. You have made me happier than I ever believed possible."
"I love you, too, Derek," she murmured, touching his cheek. She sighed softly. "Do you suppose anyone is looking for us yet?"
"I'm quite sure they are," he replied, "but I want to keep you to myself awhile longer..." He brought her up over him, so that her hair spilled around them, as they shared a happy smile. "I need to be inside of you one last time before we have to part." His cock stirred urgently against her, seeking her moist pussy.
"I need you too, more than ever.." Meredith whispered, rising up so that he bumped against her damp lips, then sliding down onto him as he watched her intently. Arching backwards, she got lost in the sensual delight of their bodies. His cock filling her, hot and thick, deep inside of her, as he thrust in and out took her breath away. "Now...Derek...now..." She fell forward against him, letting him carry her away into delight, over and over, until he burst into her with a low satisfied cry of his own.
He stroked her back, as they stayed locked together, letting the world settle around them again. "We must go, my dear," he murmured at last.
"I know. Will this keep you satisfied until we are in our marriage bed?" she teased him.
"It will have to," he chuckled. "However, you know that when I look at you during the ceremony, I will be imagining you just like this, naked and soft in my arms..."
"... and you, naked and hard for me..." she added mischievously.
Derek laughed again, tapping his hand lightly on her ass. "Temptress...you still amaze me..."
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I finished the one fic I'm gonna post next and today I decided to fish around to read a fic and I started one who already pissed me off more than anything i have read before... long story short Derek is cheating on Mer and DAMN I'm soo angry right now and I'm a few chapters in...
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