An Innocent Ch. 03

Dylan was tired and worried. It was past midnight, and dark enough outside that the search at basically been halted. He was continuing but only on the road and only because he knew the area so well. He had just entered a village and he went straight to the inn. He knew she wasn't here, he'd already been by once, but he could definitely use a drink. He left his horse with the two footmen accompanying him and walked in. The taproom was noisy and full. He wasn't too well known around here, and after spending the last several hours riding through the woods he didn't look rich enough to gain much notice. He signaled the barkeep and bought a bottle of whiskey and three glasses. He was just settling down for some nice drunkenness, when one of the men he was with came running in.

"Sir, Sir." The footman was excited and couldn't stand still. "She's here. At least her horse is."

Dylan bolted to his feet. "You're sure it's her horse?" He stared intently at the young man.

"Of course, her tacks here too, has your coat of arms on it." The footman was grinning widely.

Dylan shoved the bottle of whiskey at the young servant and strode quickly to the owner; he cornered the slimy little man at the stairs and grabbed him but his collar. "Going somewhere?" His voice was deceptively calm and quiet. The owner was turning white and stammered out an excuse, "Just checking on the guests." Dylan gave the man a hard shake. "You told me she wasn't here, why did you lie?"

The owner was terrified and actually thought he might be in danger of dieing. "She wasn't here yet, I swear. She only just got in." He fumbled around in one of his pockets. "Look here's the key to her room, I was just going up to make sure she was okay."

Up until this point, Dylan had been successfully holding in the urge to kill the innkeeper. "You were going to her room?" His voice was a near whisper. He waited for the bastard to deny it and as soon as he did, Dylan balled his hand into a fist and took great pleasure in breaking the bastard's nose. He scooped up the key and was taking the stairs two at a time before the man hit the floor. He'd stayed here a couple times, and he knew that she would have been put in the corner room as far away from the others as possible. He was right- the key turned easily in the lock.

Liana was woken from her sleep once again. Only this time it wasn't the laughter and shouts from below that woke her. Someone was in the hall outside her door. When she heard the key in the lock she stuffed a fist in her mouth to stifle her scream. She prayed that her barricade would hold while she searched for her knife. It only took one great push and everything tumbled away from the door. There was man in the hallway; he was big, but with the light coming in from behind him all she could see was his silhouette.

Dylan stood there for a moment letting his eyes adjust to the darkened room. A fire was burning low in the hearth, giving off a soft glow. He scanned the room and nearly fell to his knees when he saw her huddled in the bed. In less than a second he was across the room pulling her into his arms. "Lia, sweetheart, you're alright." It was half a statement and half a question. He felt her relax when he spoke, her recognition evident.

She had been so terrified when he grabbed her, until she heard his voice. Now she was shaking with relief and crying all over his shirt. He was squeezing her almost painfully tight whispering in her ear, "I'm so glad you're alright, I was so worried." He was pressing kisses into her face and hair. He pulled her away from his chest so that he could see her. "You are okay, right?" He was tilting her face towards the light looking for any bruises.

She nodded tearfully. "I was so scared tonight. I kept thinking someone was going to come up and then you..."

Dylan groaned and pulled her tight against his chest again. "I'm sorry I scared you, don't cry baby." And then he was kissing her and trying to take off her dress and his shirt.

Liana pulled back, her eyes misty with passion and her full lips red and swollen. "Dylan shouldn't we close the door?" She grinned at his thoughtlessness.

Dylan made a sound somewhere between a groan and a growl. He put his arms around her waist and held her up so that their faces were level. His mouth captured hers again as he kicked the door shut and walked to the bed. They were both frantic for completion. He pulled the neckline of her dress down enough to bare her breasts and immediately caressed and squeezed her creamy flesh. Liana was trying to unbutton his shirt and she succeeded in ripping it open. She groaned into Dylan's mouth as she felt his hard chest and taut stomach. Feeling bold, she lowered her hands and unbuttoned his trousers.

Dylan moved down to suck her nipple into his mouth. She was arching up, allowing him greater access. He slid one hand down her leg. Finding the hem of her skirt he pulled it up to her waist and settled between her legs. Liana was restless beneath him, she was trying to pull him closer and kiss him. Dylan caressed her sex through her underclothes. When she began rubbing herself against his hand he easily ripped the cloth and slid into her. She gasped when he entered her. She was still slightly sore from the previous morning and her body tightened against him.

It took Dylan several thrusts to make it fully into her silky passage. He slid one hand between their bodies to caress the little nub of flesh that he knew would push her over the edge. It worked and her body opened to him. When he felt the contractions of her muscles, signaling her release, he lost control thrusting deep and hard until he was empty.

Dylan pushed himself up with both hands and smiled. Liana was exhausted and she had fallen asleep immediately after their lovemaking. He slowly pulled out of her and stood up. He shook his head ruefully; they hadn't even paused long enough to disrobe. He eased her clothes off while she slept and then, after removing his own, climbed into bed with her. They might as well spend the night here.

Liana awoke slowly and realized that it was already late in the morning. Dylan had awoken her twice more with his passion and she was still tired. She pushed the covers off and sat up in the rumpled bed. She was alone. Some one had left a plate of pastries and fruit on the table and a fresh change of clothing on the end of the bed. She hurriedly dressed before Dylan could come back in. She wondered if he was angry at her. Last night he had only shown his concern, well, and his lust but surely he was mad about her leaving him. She didn't know what to do. She had never met a man like him before. Just thinking about him made her stomach quiver. But she couldn't return to him. She had a reputation to salvage. Marriage was no longer an option, except maybe to someone as desperate as she. But there were good jobs as companions or governesses that she could find.

The door opened with a bang. The object of her thoughts stood in the doorway. With his legs braced apart and his arms crossed over his chest, he completely filled the space. Liana gulped. The look on his face confirmed her fears, he was furious.

"Your things have already been sent home, we leave now." His words were short and clipped. He crossed the distance in two long strides and grabbed her by the wrist. He dragged her along after him at such a pace that she had to run to keep up. When they reached the courtyard only his horse was standing there.

"Dy..." Her mouth was dry and she cleared her throat before continuing. "Dylan where is my horse? I am really quite competent." She spoke in the most ladylike voice that she could manage.

Dylan turned to answer her, his expression enough to scare the daylights out of her. "You have already proven yourself irresponsible with your own horse. You ride with me." It was all he was willing to say on the matter. He easily lifted her into the saddle and swung up behind her. One of his strong arms anchored her to him while the other lifted the reins and took off.

The trip home took less time than it had taken her to get to the village. Dylan apparently knew a shortcut. But Dylan refused to talk to her, so the ride seemed to take much longer. When they reached the house Dylan halted the horse next to the front entry. He dismounted with her still in his grip and marched into the house, leaving the horse in the care of a waiting footman. None of the staff greeted them on the trip to her bedroom, they all seemed a little wary of their master. Dylan deposited on her bed and stormed out with out speaking a word. The click of the lock seemed unusually loud in the quiet.

Dylan angry demeanor dropped as soon as the door shut behind him. Yes, he was angry with her for putting herself in danger, but he was incredibly happy that she was back, safe and sound. He met the housekeeper, Mrs. McInnes, on the stairs and paused to leave directions. "Send up a bath and some food, but she is not leave." He smiled before walking on.

Mrs. McInnes was stunned at his jovial expression. She stood staring after him for nearly a full minute before smiling herself. It was obvious; the Laird was falling in love.

Dylan slept for nearly the rest of the day. When he awoke the sun was setting and he was in a much better mood. He dressed and rang for some food. When his valet entered he inquired about Liana.

"Milord, I believe she is still where you left her. Both a bath and dinner have been sent up." The man bowed low and left.

After eating Dylan decided that it was probably time to deal with his errant fiancé. He walked to her room and turned the key in the lock with out knocking. When he entered she was just climbing into bed. Her hair was loose and free around her shoulders and she was dressed in a virginal white nightgown. He firmly closed the door and leaned against it.

Liana wasn't surprised when her door opened. She'd been expecting him to visit all day. She quickly climbed out of bed; it was no good giving him any ideas. He hadn't spoken a word yet and she felt a little uneasy. She hadn't really seen him angry before now, but she had heard the most terrible things about his temper. After a few more minutes of him just standing there, her voice broke the silence. "Did you need something?"

Dylan slowly nodded and she took a step back. He crossed his arms and gave her a look that suggested he meant business. "I've waited all day until my temper cooled down before coming in here." He started out quietly. "Were you out of your bloody mind? How could you have done anything so stupid? Did you even think before you rode off across the countryside by yourself? Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?" He was anything but quiet when he finished.

His last comment angered Liana and she took a step closer. "How about what happened here? Or what happened last night at the inn? And you're supposed to be my guardian." She finished with a yell of her own.

That infuriated Dylan and he stomped towards her. "Lassie, do you think that some bandit on the road would be considerate of your comfort? I should turn you over my knee for your stupidity!"

Liana gasped, it was an exaggerated sound that would have made Dylan laugh if wasn't so mad. "You wouldn't dare!"

Dylan gave her an evil little smile. "Oh, yes I would." Faster than she could even react he grabbed her wrists and held them together in one hand. For the first time Liana noticed that he was holding a small unrecognizable jar, but before she could identify it he had placed it on her night table and had her pulled down over his lap with her nightgown pulled up to her waist.

Liana was shrieking with outrage when his hand landed heavily on her bare bottom. She tried to pull up but he kept on hand on her back holding her down. His hand landed again and she jumped. It wasn't as painful as it was humiliating, but it still hurt.

"Next time you better think before you act, in fact there better not be a next time." He yelled as his hand smacked her warm flesh a few more times. He didn't want to hurt her and spanking hadn't even been the punishment he'd had in mind but she goaded him into it. He stopped when her skin turned a slight pink. She was still shrieking and crying but he knew that she wasn't hurt. He reached for the little jar he'd brought with him. He'd bought during his last trip to Paris. It was a cream that produced a pleasant tingling on flesh. The women he'd been with since had always particularly enjoyed it. He dipped his fingers in the cream and began to rub it on the outside of her nether lips, concentrating on her clit.

When his fingers touched her sex, Liana realized just what kind of precarious position she was in and starting shrieking again. She guessed she should have been glad that he didn't really beat her. In fact her bottom barely stung, but she was still outraged. But by the time his thick finger slid easily into her she was moaning and no longer trying to get up.

Dylan was thoroughly enjoying himself and noticed the second that she relaxed against him. He gathered more cream onto his fingers and eased two of them into her tight sheath. He slowly pulled them out before thrusting them back in. In her arousal she had spread her legs as far apart as she could, giving him full access to her body. Dylan knew that she was quickly approaching an orgasm and slowed his movement. With her new position he could see her small back hole. He looked at his fingers, slick with cream and her juices and then looked at the tight rosebud. He shrugged as if to say "why not", many women really liked stimulation there. He eased his thumb up, with two fingers still in her sex and pressed lightly against her back hole. When she didn't offer any resistance, he pressed harder until the tip of his finger was just inside her.

Between his skillful fingers and the wonderful heat produced by the cream, Liana at first didn't notice his thumb. However when he pressed down and actually began to penetrate her, she squealed and reared up.

Dylan knew as soon as she realized what he was doing. Her whole body tensed, squeezing his thumb almost painfully tight, and she jerked up plunging his finger in farther causing her to scream again. She dropped back down and slid off his lap. She looked up at him in shock. "What were you doing? You can't do that!" She said, in a more than slightly embarrassed manner.

Dylan scooped her up tenderly and laid her on the bed. He stretched out next to her and cradled her face tenderly in his hand. So much for that experiment. "If you didn't like it, we don't have to do again. But a lot of people really like it."

"Other people do it?" She spoke so quietly that he had to lean in to hear her.

Dylan nodded while he ran his hand down to her breasts. He caressed them through the fabric of her nightgown and couldn't help but notice that she was still aroused. Good old French cream. He smiled as he leaned in to kiss her.

Liana was glad when the subject turned and he started to kiss her again. She felt hot and restless and wanted release. She pressed against him, willing him with her mind to put his fingers back between her legs. She gasped when she felt two fingers slid into her. She was almost there; she could feel her climax building. Her eyes flew open when she suddenly felt empty. Dylan had pulled away. He was standing next to the bed picking up that jar of lotion. She looked at his face curiously. "Why'd you stop?"

Dylan almost gave in when he heard her breathless question. The innocence of it was incredibly seductive. Instead he leaned down and kissed her on the brow. "Good night."

Liana stared in shock and then anger as Dylan turned around and walked out the door. He whistled. He actually whistled as he walked away. What was wrong with him? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dylan collapsed on his bed as soon as he entered his room. He was so hard that it hurt and every instinct in his body told him to go back to her room and make love to her. His plan sounded great at first. Since she wanted to run away from him why not make her run to him? The perfect punishment. The French cream was really a great idea. In a few minutes it would really kick in, providing enough stimulation to keep her highly aroused but not enough to push her over that edge. By the time a half hour had passed she would be desperate for the climax that he didn't think she'd be adventurous enough to give herself. But now he waited, and this was his punishment

Liana lay gasping in her bed. She was so aroused that the mere feel of the satin sheets on her body was too much for her to bear. There was a constant throbbing between her legs, a good throbbing. Or, rather it would be if Dylan was here to finish it. She needed him. But there was no way in hell she was going crawling to him. About fifteen minutes ago she'd decided that this torture was intentional and there was no way she was going to let him win. A sudden thought popped into her head. Maybe she could do the same things he did. She slowly snaked one hand down to her sex. She experimented, swirling her fingertips over her hot flesh. After a few minutes, she decided that she could never settle for anything less than his skillful fingers. Besides, she felt ready to burst. The swirling heat was all she could think about.

Dylan smiled to himself as the door to his bedroom opened. The door closed quietly and he heard soft footsteps walk to his bed. He continued to fake sleep. A slender hand reached out and touched his shoulder.

"Dylan?" It was a mere whisper, but Dylan responded. He opened his eyes and slowly rolled to face her. She didn't look like she could say anything else. He took pity on her and lifted the covers so that she could join him. Liana quickly pulled her nightgown over her head and tossed it away. She tried to lie next to him, but he wouldn't let her. Instead he pulled her down on top of him. He looked at her expectantly.

It took a few minutes for Liana to get enough courage to talk. She swallowed nervously a few times and stared down at his patient face. She had hoped that once she appeared in his room, he would take control like again. Quietly, in barely a whisper, she finally spoke. "Help me."

Dylan slowly began to smile

TO BE CONTINUED...