She took him on a loop of the village commencing down Church Lane toward the river and the mill. From there they walked along the riverbank under the trees. It was very peaceful with the trickle of the water over the rocks, much quieter than the loud rush of the mill race they had left behind. The occasional call of a bird or buzz of an insect disturbed the drowsyafternoon. She picked up a flat stone and skipped it across the surface of the water. It got halfway across before it disappeared.
“We used to see how far across we could get the stones to go before they sank when we were children,” she said, picking up another stone and trying again. “I’m out of practice. I used to be able to get it all the way across.”
He picked up one, and it hit a rock and bounced into the water. “It would be easier if the surface of the water were entirely flat. Why do it here where there are so many exposed rocks?”
“That’s part of the challenge, avoiding the rocks. We started with flat water and worked our way up.”
“I see.” He picked up another stone and tried again. He did better this time and got halfway across, but she was still beating him. Another three goes, and he thought he could catch her. “Another go?” he said.
She nodded, “Best of three?”
They each found three nice flat stones and took it in turns. He beat her on the first, she beat him on the second.
“The decider,” she said.
“Loser pays a forfeit,” he said with a smile.
She cocked her head. “Very well. If you lose, Sir Knight, you must collect me a posy of wildflowers from the field over there.”
“And if you lose, you give me a kiss and I will carry you all the way to that bridge.” He waved to the stone bridge fifty yards ahead of them.
She blushed. “Carrying me hardly seems like a reward for you.”
“It will be,” he said, stepping closer. “I get to put my arms round you.” He slid an arm round her waist, drawing her against his chest.
She raised her eyebrows. “You haven’t won yet, Your Grace.” She slipped out of his embrace and threw her stone. It got morethan three quarters of the way across. “There, beat that!” She gave him a saucy smile.
He took careful aim and watched as his stone skipped and bounced artfully over the expanse of the river and dropped from sight in roughly the same spot as hers.
“A draw,” she said. “Neither of us won, no forfeits paid.”
“On the contrary, both forfeits should be paid,” he said, determined to get his reward. “Stay there, I will fetch your posy.”
He plunged off into the field full of wildflowers and picked her a generous bunch of purple, pink, yellow, white, and red blooms. Bringing it back, he presented it to her with a low bow.
She giggled and took it. “Thank you, Sir Knight.”
“Now for my kiss,” he said, wrapping his arms round her and drawing her close. She wrapped her arms round his neck, the posy clutched in one hand.
“I’ve been wanting to do this all day,” he murmured, lowering his head and finding her lips. Determined to take his time and savor it, he took it slowly, brushing his lips lightly over hers, pulling her closer, teasing her lips apart and exploring with his tongue.
He couldn’t suppress the groan in his throat, she was so delicious. His hands roamed over her back and lower to squeeze her bottom, pressing her belly against his hardening cock. He slid one hand upward, over her hip and up her side until he could cup one breast in his hand and fondle and squeeze. His thumb rubbed over a nipple through the fabric of her gown, and she gasped.
It was the first time he’d groped her so, but he could no longer hold off from touching her, and after last night her response assured him he wouldn’t frighten her. He wanted all of her. When she arched into his touch and melted against him with a whimper and a moan, he groaned again with delight,deepening the kiss. His hips stirred against her belly, hot need coursing through him.
“Sarah,” he murmured between kisses, his lips tracing down her neck and back up to her ear where he nibbled it, causing her to shiver and arch her neck for more with a little mew of delight. Every movement, gasp, and mewl from her sent more heat through his body. He found her mouth again and kissed her deeply. He could feed on her kisses for eternity and never be sated.
He wanted to lay her down on the grass and take her. The impulse brought him to his senses with a jerk. Reluctantly he broke the kiss, breathing quickly, as was she, he noted. Her face was flushed, her eyes wide and dark, her lips pink and swollen. He kissed her cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose, fighting to bring his raging lust back under control. His cock was throbbing and leaking in his breeches, and his whole groin ached.Fuck, he wanted her!The crude thought shocked him.
“Sarah, you are undoing me,” he confessed.
She stroked his face with one hand, and he leaned his cheek into her touch. A warm tendril of an emotion he couldn’t name, beyond the fact that he liked it, curled through his chest. Her expression was softened, and there was a light in her sherry-colored eyes he’d not seen before. It made his heart lift and beat more strongly. He turned his face to kiss her hand.
“A perfect day,” he murmured.
She reached up and kissed him softly on the lips, a chaste, closed-mouthed kiss, but the imprint of her touch still tingled all the way to his groin.
“Yes,” she said softly. Then an impish smile broke across her face, and she turned and ran, saying over her shoulder, “Catch me if you can!”
