Here Be Dragons - 1 Sharon Penman (paper ebook reader .TXT) 📖

into an impassioned embrace, and it was not long before he was murmuring, "Now, love. Spread your thighs for me. Ah, yes, yes .. ." There was a tense moment in which they feared he was too ready, too eager. But he was able to keep control, moving slowly at first, deliberately, until Joanna moaned, dug her nails into his neck, and then he did lose control, but it no longer mattered; there was for them both a shattering release, convulsive and complete.Will was the first to move, shifting his weight off Joanna and sitting up. She lay still, her head turned away, until he tugged gently on her braid, compelling her toward him. Leaning over, he kissed her possessively on the mouth. "You were worth waiting for," he said, smiling, and Joanna flushed even darker."What have I done, Will?" Her voice was muffled, almost inaudible. "My God, what have I done?"He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. "What you wanted to do.For you did want me, Joanna, just as much as I wanted you."Joanna's lashes swept down, shadowing her cheek. Sitting up, she pulled her skirt down, began relacing her bliaut. Her fingers were unsteady, but whenWill reached over to help, she shook her head. She was on her feet now, retrieving her mantle from the floor. "Will ... I have to go."He rose without haste, draped her mantle about her shoulders. "Give me a minute to make myself presentable, and I'll walk back with you.""No!" She pulled away, staring at him with such wide, frightened eyes that he was both touched and amused."What do you fear, Joanna? That people need only glance at us now to know?"Laughing, he caught her by the shoulders, drew her back into his arms. "My love, it does not show in your face. You look no different.""I feel different. I feel ..." Joanna's mouth twisted. She turned away, moved rapidly toward the door.

603e&i19 f la, "Joanna." She paused, with obvious reluctance, and hntl»«nce shall be here at noon on the morrow." ' ^ |,e ^"No," she said. "No.""I'll be waiting for you."His words stayed with her as she walked back toward Rho^taottowat,) waiting for you. He'd smiled, as if her denial meant nothing, * -tot notl''8*/' she'd come to him. Joanna stopped abruptly, stood motionle^koonbd nJ^ifs Jong thatTopaz began to whine. Kneeling there on the path, Jo&o^rtlhe p^Sfer her arms around the dog. "What am I to do?" she whisperec^, e wh,s Wj Mary ..." But she could not pray. Hers was a mortal sin. £ irtomorta]^ 'la, betrayed her marriage vows, betrayed her husband. And on t,inoW _ An^'H, row, what then?For Will was right. She had wanted him, was a^aiil him, "t|eno to blame for what happened as he. She did not understand it, c«» iiterrstanci'^niic fully believe it even now, but she could not deny it. She did wa«OTttiii5he dSWiic'intlVjjWILL reached the hafod well before noon. Joanna had been too disfciaboJiBsen to, to think of the blanket and basket. The blanket lay as they'd left ft|Mt theyV'Hlit rumpled from the weight of their bodies, but the basket had beemnsjWtst hacjSw turned, emptied by scavenging animals. Will righted the b.drfbhted us*'- smoothed the blanket, and sat down to wait. At half past twelve H whitest tw' *H the hafod, stood for some moments squinting up at the sun. HQH ii'irfie su ^ turning to go back inside when he heard a dog bark.Several birds tl afaiibveral k "(1* cover, went winging over the hut. The spaniel appeared first, jaitte&ared $V Joanna following much more slowly. '<% suggestive of sadness. "Over the years, many women have wegi/owliMi ha^' ^cause of me. But I honestly could recall nary a one weeping for me .suiJjmg/OK ^ JUSt you." 'Joanna had wept again at night, lying alone in Llewelyn's bed. B»a Finn's bw s)le did not know whether her tears were for the boy Will had been, Q ,(A»ad be, °r this madness that had so suddenly come upon her, that had brougr-faAnad bt, * er back to the hafod, to Will. She closed her eyes, but could still see hincmlsilitstiW s?, e«ind her lids: tousled hair streaked by the sun, thin mobile mouth rtmmfoile nkJaitisi&ared C*

602knew she had to protest now, while there was still time for protest' for thinking. But when he kissed her again, she found herself resp H' ing, kissing him back.He was too practiced for awkward fumbling with clothing, slid h' hand into the bodice of her gown. She gasped as he cupped her bre and he gave a low laugh."God, how I want you! It'll be so good i promise you ..." And for Joanna there was only that moment, the f i of his hands on her bared skin, and an urgency to match his own. VVhe he lowered her back onto the blanket, she reached up, drew him dovv into an impassioned embrace, and it was not long before he was miir muring, "Now, love. Spread your thighs for me. Ah, yes, yes There was a tense moment in which they feared he was too ready, too eager. But he was able to keep control, moving slowly at first, deliberately, until Joanna moaned, dug her nails into his neck, and then he did lose control, but it no longer mattered; there was for them both a shattering release, convulsive and complete.Will was the first to move, shifting his weight off Joanna and sitting up. She lay still, her head turned away, until he tugged gently on her braid, compelling her toward him. Leaning over, he kissed her possessively on the mouth. "You were worth waiting for," he said, smiling, and Joanna flushed even darker."What have I done, Will?" Her voice was muffled, almost inaudible. "My God, what have I done?"He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. "What you wanted to do.For you did want me, Joanna, just as much as I wanted you."Joanna's lashes swept