English Rose Ch. 03

Douglas, very nearly panting, struggled with the interruption. Looking down into her face, he could see she was serious and something he saw there encouraged him to accommodate her.

Taking half a step back, Douglas untied his robe and let it fall to the floor. He hadn't bothered with a nightshirt but had settled on a pair of lightweight lounge pants. Before he could reach for her Sabrina stepped forward and ran her hands across his chest. She took her time, letting her fingertips explore the sensitive ridges between his ribs before circling his naval and grazing the flat of his stomach.

Douglas stood, his hands fisted at his sides, letting her explore. It was only as she reached for the drawstring of his pants that he reached out and stopped her. "Not yet," he said.

"But I want to see you, all of you," she said. For a moment she thought he might refuse but in the end he gave a slight nod of his head and released her wrist. Slowly, she reached out and tugged the ends of the tie free, watching as the material settled lower on his hips. Running her fingertips along the line of the waistband, Sabrina followed it to his hips before slowly pushing it towards the floor.

Sabrina caught her first sight of Douglas as he stepped out of his pants, leaving them on the floor. He was glorious with broad shoulders, a narrow waist and long, muscular legs. His chest was smooth, almost hairless except for a small patch that circled his naval before trailing down to his public region. There the hair grew thick and black, in the center of which stood his cock.

She let her eyes wander over him, her hands following as she continued to explore, drinking in the sight of him. It was the first time Douglas had stood naked before her and she wanted to commit the image to memory.

Douglas let her look, let her touch for as long as he could. Her touch was light and still showed her inexperience for which he was grateful. He didn't think he could stand it if she touched him in a way designed to arouse.

Letting her continue, Douglas reached out and traced the neckline of Sabrina's nightgown. The deep v-cut followed the curve of both breasts before coming to an end deep in the valley of her cleavage. Drawing his fingers down one side and up the other, Douglas reached her shoulders edging the fabric off her shoulders and down her arms. He watched in fascination as the material seemed to fall unnaturally slow, catching for just a moment on the tips of her breasts before finally falling to the floor.

Sabrina held her breath as Douglas drank her in; his eyes were dark pools of desire as he reached for her. She couldn't stop the small sigh of pleasure as he cupped both of her breasts in his hands, palming them gently. A moment later her soft sigh turned to a deep moan as Douglas dropped to his knees and took one nipple into his mouth.

Douglas felt Sabrina arch up against him thrusting her breast more firmly against his mouth. A moment later he felt her hand in his hair pressing him forward. He couldn't stop himself from wrapping his arms around her waist or from sucking her nipple more firmly into his mouth.

Sabrina cried out as Douglas suckled and pulled at her nipple with his mouth, her body shuddering at the sensation. She could feel herself growing wet, the moisture leaking out to coat the inside of her thighs. "Douglas, please."

Douglas ignored her pleas as he released one nipple and exchanged it for the other. He loved the feel of her growing hard in his mouth, her tender nipples swelling as he sucked, her desperate moans and pleas urging him on until he lost himself and bit down.

Sabrina hissed at the sharp pain at the same time feeling her body shatter in its first release of the night. Surrendering to the sensation, she held on as her body rocked through waves of pleasure.

Douglas held her and licked gently at where he'd bitten her. He hadn't meant to push her so hard but something in him had answered an unspoken demand from her body. Shifting his hold on her waist, Douglas rose back to his feet picking Sabrina up in the process. Carefully, he laid her on the bed, stretching out beside her.

Sabrina turned in his arms. Her body was warm, infused with pleasure but need and desire hummed just beneath the surface of her skin. Gently, she pushed Douglas onto his back and set to exploring his chest with her mouth, using tongue and teeth to taste. Coming to his nipple, she wondered what his response would be if she suckled him the way he had her.

Douglas sucked in a deep breath and held it at the feel of Sabrina circling his nipple with her tongue. "Oh, god," he moaned as she pulled him into her mouth. Her mouth was hot, wet and drew him in deep. Each pull on his nipple caused his cock to twitch and surge, his hips rising up off the bed as he thrust up into the air. Just when he thought he couldn't stand it any more she moved on to circle his naval with her tongue.

Sabrina traced the line of hair around Douglas' bellybutton feeling him tense beneath her. "Douglas?" she asked.

"Hmmm?" Douglas was well aware of Sabrina's proximity to his cock.

"Before, back in the carriage, you kissed me...down there." Sabrina could feel herself flush at the memory, her body heating and growing wet. Already she felt swollen and tender, eager for Douglas but there was something she'd been wondering about.

"Would you like me to do that again?" Douglas asked, more then willing to oblige.

"No, well, yes but..." Sabrina hesitated, "I was wondering, is it possible for me to do something like that for you?"

Douglas thought he might expire on the spot. With Sabrina already so close to his cock it was easy to picture her leaning over and taking him into her mouth. Still, it wasn't something he'd thought to ask of her - not on their wedding night.

"Douglas?"

"Well," he said slowly. "The mechanics of it are a bit different but yes, you can use your mouth to give me pleasure."

"Would you mind if I tried?" she asked.

Douglas swallowed, hard. "If you'd like."

Sabrina slid lower until she came almost eye to eye with Douglas' hip. She didn't immediately reach for his cock, instead she trailed the tips of her fingers up the inside of his thigh smiling as the muscles jumped and twitched. At the same time, she leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to the tender skin on the inside of his hipbone. Hearing his sigh above her, Sabrina parted her lips and licked the same spot before slowly moving towards her goal.

Douglas felt his tension rise the closer she got to his cock. Fisting the sheets beneath him he stared up at the ceiling above his head. He wanted to look down the length of his body, wanted to watch as he disappeared into her mouth but feared losing control. He gave a jolt as she shifted, moving to setttle between his thighs, her breasts pressing against his legs.

Sabrina settled between Douglas' spread thighs. They'd made love once before, quick and desperate in the carriage, and just the other night she'd enjoy giving him some relief however this was the first time she'd been able to explore him in all his glory.

His cock stood hard and tall in front of her; jutting up from a nest of thick, black hair she watched as he pulsed slightly. She knew that she wanted to taste him, to sample the essence of him the same as he had done with her.

Leaning forward, Sabrina licked at the swollen head of his cock, thrilled when he moaned and bucked beneath her. Without hesitating, she licked up his length of him, swirled her tongue around the head of his cock and the finally sucked him more fully into her mouth.

"Sabrina," Douglas moaned her name as he felt himself enveloped in the heat of her mouth. It took every ounce of control he had not to come as she continued to work him in and out of her mouth. His only saving grace was that he was too big for her to take him all.

Sabrina felt Douglas shudder beneath her and his hips thrust upward. Realizing that he searched for a rhythm, Sabrina worked to match the thrusts of his hips, her mouth sliding down on his cock as he thrust up. It didn't take long before she was bobbing up and down on his cock, gaining another few centimeters every couple of thrusts until he was hitting the back of her throat.

Douglas opened his eyes and watched as he slid in and out of his wife's mouth. He was amazed to see more then half of his cock disappearing between her red, swollen lips. A few more thrusts and he knew he was close; reluctantly, he reached down and grabbed Sabrina by her upper arms, pulling her off his cock. "Another time I'll let you finish me off that way but not tonight," he growled, rolling her onto her back.

Sabrina nodded, a shiver of awareness racing up her spine at the look in his eyes, and licked her lips. She had been able to taste him, even without having brought him to completion.

Douglas felt his control slipping as she licked her lips and spread her legs to accommodate him. He had meant to take things slow but in that moment the only thing he could think to do was satiate himself with her body. Bracing himself on one hand, he grabbed his cock and guided it to her entrance. Relieved at finding her wet, he rubbed the head of his cock up and down the length of her slit, once, twice before finding her entrance and thrusting forward.

Sabrina's back arched, her hips automatically rising off the bed to meet Douglas as he filled her for the first time as her husband.

Douglas didn't stop, couldn't stop with that first thrust. Immediately, he withdrew to her entrance and thrust home again and again. It was hard and fast, his body filling her as she surrounded him with her heat. She was wet but tight, her body pulling at him as he moved within her.

Reaching up, Sabrina held on as Douglas pounded his way into her body. Already she could feel a familiar tightening low, below her belly, causing her to spread her legs wider and opening herself up to him.

Douglas groaned at the feeling of Sabrina surrendering beneath him and felt his balls grow tight. Instinctively, she shifted her hips allowing for deeper strokes with his cock. Grabbing her behind one knee, Douglas lifted her leg and pressed it to his hip. He could feel her sliding up and down the entire length of him, felt his sac slapping against the lower part of her slit covering him in her juices.

"Oh god, Douglas, don't stop...please don't stop," she begged as her body started to tighten.

"Never," Douglas whispered and watched as she started to shatter beneath him. A moment later he felt his cock gripped in the tight muscles of her contracting pussy and let himself join her.

Douglas held himself suspended above her as aftershocks of pleasure continued for the span of several heartbeats. It was only as the last waves of pleasure receded that he allowed himself to collapse.

Sabrina lay unmoving beneath him, one hand gently stroking down the length of Douglas' back as she waited for his breathing to return to normal. Her entire body tingled while at the same time feeling languid and satiated.

Realizing that he must be smothering her, Douglas rolled over onto his back. Pulling Sabrina with him, he settled her head on his shoulder and considered his wife. She was drawing lazy circles on his chest and, he would have sworn, purring.

Sabrina hummed quietly to herself; warm and content next to Douglas she watched as the room grew darker. She couldn't remember ever having been happier and wanted the moment to go on forever.

"What are you thinking?" Douglas asked. The room had grown dark but the late spring weather kept it from growing cold. Still, he knew that eventually he would have to get up and light the fire.

Sabrina looked up at Douglas. "I was thinking that I never want this moment to end."

"Are you happy that you married me?" Douglas was surprised at how much her answer mattered to him.

"Yes," Sabrina said and reached up to kiss him softly.

Douglas was tempted to take the kiss deeper but there was something else he wanted to know. "Earlier, you agreed to spend time at Arlington Park, is that something you really want to do?"

Sabrina rolled over so that she could prop her chin on Douglas' chest. "It doesn't matter if I want to or not," she said. "The question is whether or not you want."

Douglas stared up at the ceiling trying to get a grip on his feelings. "Arlington Park is the ducal seat, it's where my father spends most of his time. It's also where his wife and son lived."

Sabrina was quick to catch the implications. "You've never been there, have you?"

"No," Douglas said. "I was never invited."

Sabrina felt her heart ache for the little boy he once was. "Did you always know that he was your father?"

Douglas thought back to those early days with his mother; their life hasn't been a hard one but it hasn't been easy either. He couldn't remember when he first realized what it was his mother did to support them and that his life was different from so many others.

He didn't fit in with the ton nor did he fit in with the lower or merchant class. For years, he'd been a man without a place; that was until he carved one out for himself. But through it all he'd known who his sire was.

"At first, when I was young, my mother told me simply that my father was a great lord. I think she tried to weave it into a fantasy hoping that it would comfort the child I was. For years, she avoided telling me his name saying that it was best for all of us if I never knew. I think I was around twelve years old when she finally told me and that was only because she was sick."

"How long were they together?" she asked when he grew quiet.

"A few years," Douglas said. "My mother told me that he came to see her, us, the day after I was born. It was the last time she saw him."

"He left her, left you?" Sabrina had known the Duke for years and still found it hard to imagine.

"Yes," Douglas sighed. "I found out later that he settled a very generous portion on my mother that same day - enough that she need never seek a patron again. It wasn't until she died that I learned that she'd put the entire amount into a trust for me. She had one of her patrons invest it and used the interest to send me to school."

"Tell me about her," Sabrina urged.

Douglas felt the familiar mixture of joy, sadness and anger that surfaced whenever he thought of his mother. Looking down at Sabrina, he was reminded of where those feelings had taken him.

As much as he regretted some of his past decisions he had a hard time regretting the one that had brought them together. "Another time," he said.

Sabrina searched his face; open to her as he was she could see that there were old hurts there that were better left for another night. "Very well," she agreed. "But Douglas, I spoke with your Aunt Mae, if you've ever hoped to spend time with your father you had better do it soon."

Douglas heard the note of warning, "What did Mae tell you?"

"The news is not good," she said softly. "Your father is very ill, most days the pain keeps him in bed. It was through sheer willpower and a very large amount of laudanum that he was able to make it to the wedding."

Douglas nodded. "Then if it's alright with you, I'd like to go to Arlington Park. I know it's not much of a honeymoon..."

"Douglas," Sabrina said, a touch of reproach in her voice. "There will be time enough for that later. This is more important."

"Thank you," Douglas said, pulling her closer.

The next morning Sabrina was officially introduced to the staff. She also confirmed that Tilly wished to remain with her and would be accompanying them to Arlington Park. While Douglas made travel arrangements Sabrina sent a note to her father asking that Tilly be released into her service. Luckily, most of her stuff was still packed and it was a simple matter to send it on ahead.

It was a two day carriage ride to Arlington Park. They spent the first night on the road at a family run inn. The proprietor and his wife severed them a warm, hearty meal while their youngest daughter readied their room. Sabrina was hard pressed to find fault with either - the food was well prepared and the room clean. As she left, she made sure to press a bit of her pin money into the older woman's hand.

"You didn't have to do that," Douglas said. "I paid the owner quiet well."

"I know," Sabrina said as she mounted her horse. The weather continued to be warm and bright and both of them had decided to ride ahead of the carriage. "But that doesn't mean he'll pass any of it along to his wife or daughter. I thought they should have something for themselves."

Douglas nodded; it was something he never would have thought about. They spent the day passing back and forth between easy conversation and relaxed silence occasionally giving the horses their heads before once again slowing to a walk. At midday they stopped for lunch, enjoying the light picnic prepared by the inn keeper's wife.

Once again on the road, Sabrina noticed that the closer they got to Arlington Park the quieter Douglas became. She left him to his thoughts, realizing that she really had no way of understanding what he was feeling.

Never having been to Arlington Park, Sabrina nevertheless knew where it was located. The Hogins' had an estate nearby and Sabrina had attended their annual summer house party. Familiar with the area, she recognized various landmarks and knew they were close. Finally, she followed Douglas as he turned off the main street and headed down a long, private drive.

The path was narrower then the public lane but wide enough to accommodate a large carriage or two riders sitting abreast. Lined with trees, it was shaded from the afternoon sun offering a cool break from the heat of the day.

Twenty minutes later the trees opened up and Arlington Park stood spread out before them. "It's beautiful," Sabrina said, pulling her mare to a stop next to Douglas.

Douglas sat and stared; Sabrina was right - it was beautiful. The house itself was large, spreading out on both sides from a central entryway. Both the north and the south wings curved forward slightly giving the impression of arms open in welcome. To the north, Douglas could see a path that likely led to the stables while the south side of the house pointed to a large garden and beyond that, the fields. Douglas knew from his solicitor that the grounds held fields for grain, grassland for the grazing animals and a well stocked forest for hunting.

"Shall we?" Sabrina asked and nudged her mount forward.

Douglas followed, wondering at their reception. He had sent a note on ahead confirming their arrival and offering to delay their visit until a later date. Their reply had been waiting for them at the inn and contained assurances that everything was ready for them and that they were to continue on to Arlington Park. Still, Douglas couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to trespass where he was most unwelcome.

Sabrina smiled and waved as Douglas' Aunt Mae stepped out to greet them. A moment later a couple of stable lads appeared to take their horses and help Sabrina dismount.

"Aunt Mae!" Douglas smiled with genuine warmth and bent to hug is aunt. "How are you?"

"I'm well," Mae said. "We're so glad you decided to come."

Douglas couldn't keep from looking behind his aunt expectantly.

"Your father would have come down himself but...well..." Mae hesitated. "Today isn't one of his better days and he remains in bed. He is awake, however, and asked that you visit him as soon as you're settled."

Douglas nodded. Take Sabrina's arm, he followed Mae into the house. "Are you sure our timing for a visit was well advised? I do not want to disturb him."

Mae led them into the sitting room where a service of tea and cakes had already been laid out. "Please, sit," she said and started to pour. "I'm sure Sabrina already told you, your father is very ill and the chances of recovery are...slim, at best."