Page 38 of Keeper of the Flame: Orrick

“I don’t think this is appropriate.”

“Tell me you don’t want me to continue and I’ll stop,” he challenged her, reaching down and kissing her cleavage next. She was going to stop him, but when his tongue shot out and licked her skin, she almost jumped off the old, wooden table with desire. Suddenly, all she could think about was making love to the man.

“Do it,” she heard herself say, not even sure why she said it, or if it was really her. But by the way her body vibrated and the tingle of excitement that went up her spine, she couldn’t turn him away now, even if she tried. “Make love to me, Sir Rick. Right here on this table in the cave.”

“You don’t mean it. Do you?”

“What do you think?” A playful, randy side of her emerged, and she found herself pulling at the ties of her bodice, giving him easy access.

“I think you are a beautiful woman who longs to be loved. And I am a very randy man who wants to love you.”

As if under a spell, Hope threw back her head, exposing her neck to him. Sir Rick trailed kisses down her neck and when she felt the cool air on her bared breasts, she smiled wickedly, because she wanted it so desperately right now.

“Oh, Sir Rick,” she said and moaned as he took one breast in his hand and suckled at her nipple, causing it to go taut. “Ooooooh.”

“I feel an urgency that I’m afraid I can’t control,” he whispered into her ear, licking at her lobe as he did so. A tingle shot up her spine. And when he took her bottom end in both hands and pulled her closer to him near the edge of the table, she felt his hardened form up against her.

She was the one to reach out and unbuckle his belt, letting his braies drop to the floor. Looking down at his erection, she gasped. He was one healthy, handsome man and all she could think about was how he would feel inside her.

“Spread your legs wider,” he told her, stepping in between them, picking her up and holding her against him tightly. She wrapped her legs around him and he slowly dropped her down, sliding his length in between her womanly folds.

Hope cried out in ecstasy as he entered her. His face was pressed up against her breasts as he thrust in and out, guiding her body to slip up and down his length.

Never had she felt like such a strumpet and neither did she care. Something about being here in this cave brought out a dark, daring, dangerous side of her that she’d always ignored or repressed her entire life. Sure, she’d had illicit thoughts and secret desires that she had never shared with others. But now . . . now she was living out this naughty side of her and Sir Rick was the one she wanted to share these feelings with, and no one else.

In their heat of passion, they both surrendered to their unbridled desires. Before she knew it, she was crying out, having found her release. And if that hadn’t surprised her, what he did next certainly did. He found his release as well, and it was very vocal. With the way he moaned and shouted out when he spilled his seed, he sounded as if he hadn’t had a woman in a very, very long time.

“Oh, Sir Rick, that was wonderful,” she said through ragged breathing, as he set her on her feet and helped her to fix her clothing. “It felt so good, I cannot even believe it.”

“You have no idea,” he said, fixing his clothing as well.

“I’m not sure what got into me,” she confessed. “I don’t want you to think I’m a strumpet. I don’t usually act this way.”

“I understand.”

“It’s something about being here . . . in this cave. It almost brought out a dark side of me, or should I say a naughty side, that I didn’t really know I possessed.” She giggled, but he scowled and glanced over toward the torch on the wall.

“Let’s get going,” he said, taking her hand and leading her toward the exit.

“Wait,” she said, stopping him and turning around. “I need to bring back the Eternal Flame.”

“Well, that’s not it.” He grabbed her wrist, but she struggled and got away from him, heading toward the torch.

“It is the Eternal Flame. I can feel it,” she said with excitement. “Plus, I heard Orrick telling Lord Corbett about it. Then Orrick came here. This is the flame and I’m going to bring it back to Lord Irwin.”

“Nay!” he called out as she reached for it.

She slowly turned around. “Why not? Did you want the Eternal Flame for yourself? Perhaps you and Lord Irwin can share it.”

“Nay, I don’t want to share the flame with anyone, and you’re not taking it because . . . because it isn’t the Eternal Flame at all. It’s only a simple burning torch. Now let’s go.”

Something was odd with the whole situation and Hope didn’t believe for one moment that what Sir Rick was telling her was true.

“If it’s just a torch, then we’d better snuff it. If we don’t, something might catch on fire.” She tested him. If it wasn’t the Eternal Flame, then he’d put the fire out. If he didn’t, then she was sure she had found what she’d been searching for. “I’ll snuff it.”

“Nay, I’ll do it,” he said, grabbing the torch from the wall. “Go on,” he said with a nod of his head. “I’ll wait until you get to the mouth of the cave so you don’t trip in the dark. Then I’ll extinguish the flame.”

“All right,” she said, walking, but looking back over her shoulder. “I’m here. Go ahead and put it out.”