Sinful Nights(26)

Show me how much,' he demanded thickly, tracing an erotic pathway  downwards along her throat, his fingers burning fiery brands of  possession against her skin as he cupped the silky skin of her breast,  delicately stroking the hard nub of her nipple. This time Sapphire  responded immediately without hesitation, knowing with one corner of her  mind that mingled with her desire and love was a tiny thread of  desperation urging her to take as much of him as she could while she  could-memories to store up to keep her warm on those nights when her bed  would be cold and empty without him. As though her yearning hunger  reached out and unleashed some deep core of need within him Blake  reacted to her passion, touching her, kissing her with a barely  restrained ferocity that left her weakly clinging to him like a drowning  person to a raft. His touch, his need, the words of passion and hunger  he muttered into her ear, took her far beyond the shores of love and out  into an ocean so deep she knew that without him she would sink and  never ever re-surface.    

 



 

Fierce tremors of pleasure raced through her body, each lingering caress  making her arch and invite with a sensuality that left one corner of  her mind half-shocked. Could this really be her, touching Blake with a  far greater intimacy than she had ever envisaged; stroking and kissing  the taut male body until Blake cried out in a delirium of need, reaching  for her, taking the fullness of one breast deeply into his mouth and  laving it with the moist heat of his tongue.

Now it was her turn to cry out with pleasure and to experience the  fierce shudder of pleasure slamming through Blake's body as he responded  to that cry. His fingers stroked circles of fire along the inside of  her thigh her body aching with the intensity of her need. He touched her  intimately and she melted, twisting and turning, breathing in short,  muffled gasps.

It's no good, I can't wait any longer.' Blake's groaned admission  echoed her own thoughts, her body wildly exulting in his swift  possession and frenziedly responding to it. The world seemed to explode  around them Sapphire crying out with pleasure at each powerful thrust of  his body, her nails scoring heatedly along his back as she sought to  prolong the contact her body craved even after the climax had been  reached and the deep ache inside her soothed.

She felt Blake move away slightly and murmured an incoherent protest.  Hush  … ' His mouth covered hers briefly, warm and moist and she was  shocked to feel the light spiral of desire twist through her so quickly  after she thought it had been sated. She tried to move away when Blake  bent his head to suck lightly on her swollen and slightly sore nipples,  but the pleasure of his touch seduced her into staying where she was,  dreamily contemplating the smooth warmth of his skin, reaching out lazy  fingers to stroke idly along the ridge of his shoulder.

When his lips grazed across her stomach she felt too indolent to  protest, simply looking down at the thick darkness of his hair and  wondering awedly that one person could be so vitally important to her  happiness.

Blake's fingers touched her thigh, and she tensed as his tongue touched  her so intimately that she almost recoiled from the shock of it, trying  to pull away and yet at the same time consumed by the molten heat his  intimacy engendered until she was giving herself up to it, abandoning  herself completely to the sensual spell he was weaving around her,  unaware that she was crying out his name.

This time their coming together was less tumultuous, more leisurely and  prolonged; Blake's fierce cry of exultation muffled by her kiss, her  arms holding him locked against her body as she savoured the sweet  aftermath of their pleasure. She fell asleep still holding him, waking  during the night to discover that their positions were reversed and that  he was now the one holding her, the heavy weight of one leg thrown  across her body, pinning her close against him. Sleepily content she  nestled closer to him gloating over the pleasure of being able to do so;  of being free to reach out and touch the matted hair on his chest; to  place her lips to the pulse thudding slowly in his throat. Maybe he only  wanted her, but she loved him and hopefully, God willing, they could  yet build a relationship; a marriage that could last.

She fell asleep on that thought waking to find herself alone. Downstairs  in the kitchen she found a note propped up against the teapot and a  small smile tugged at her lips as she read it.

Market Day,' Blake had written. Don't expect me back until late-suggest you catch up on your sleep!'

She spent the morning in a blissful daze, knowing that she was walking  around with a smile on her face like a cat fed on cream, but unable to  do a thing about it.

After a light lunch she contemplated going for a walk, and was just  about to set out when she heard the sound of a car driving into the  yard. From her vantage point in the kitchen she watched Miranda uncurl  her slender body from the driver's seat, her face disdainful as she  picked her way over the cobbled yard in spike heeled shoes. Her cream  wool suit and expensive shoes were beautiful but surely completely  unsuitable for farm visiting Sapphire reflected waspishly as Miranda  knocked on the back door.

If you want Blake, I'm afraid he isn't here,' she told her curtly,  knowing she was being ungracious but unable to stop herself. It still  hurt bitterly to think of Blake and this woman being lovers; to know  that if Miranda hadn't married they still would be lovers. It did  nothing to endear Miranda to her to know that at least some of Blake's  desire for her must have been fuelled by the fact that he was missing  her and Sapphire knew some of her feelings must be reflected in her  face.

It isn't Blake I wanted to see,' Miranda surprised her by saying  smugly, Of course I knew he wouldn't be here. It's market day-we  normally meet for lunch but of course since I got married  … ' She  shrugged dainty shoulders. I've told Blake he can't have his cake and  eat it. It's much pleasanter being a married woman than being a single  one  … '    

 



 

Despite the fact that you had to settle for second best,' Sapphire  threw at her, regretting her impulsive comment the moment she saw the  pale blue eyes harden.

Hardly that,' Miranda drawled tauntingly. As a lover Blake is  first-rate, but as a husband?' Her eyebrows lifted. Hardly. For one  thing Jim is an extremely wealthy man, whereas Blake  … ' She glanced  round the large kitchen disparagingly. Being a working farmer's wife is  hardly my métier  … '

No, I can see that,' Sapphire agreed drily, But if you haven't come to see Blake why have you come here?'

Settling herself comfortably in a chair Miranda raised calculating blue  eyes to Sapphire's darker ones. Oh I thought it was time you and I had a  little talk-that er, shall we say  …  certain ground rules were laid  down. You know of course that Blake and I are lovers?'

I know you were,' Sapphire agreed coolly, hoping that Miranda would never guess how much the admission cost her.

Were?' The thin eyebrows lifted tauntingly, Oh dear is that what he  told you? And you believed him? Poor Sapphire,' she mocked. Blake is  far too virile a man to give up what he and I have between us. Oh I  grant you, you've grown up from the awkward adolescent he married, but  Blake loves me, Sapphire, and all you'll ever be is a pale substitute.  Your marriage to him won't last. Blake will tire of you again just like  he did before.'

Her taunting words, the look in her eyes, and her own inner insecurities  all combined to goad Sapphire into saying with desperate intensity,  You're wrong; Blake wants our marriage to last.'

You mean he wants to keep your father sweet to make sure he doesn't  lose out on Flaws Farm,' Miranda derided. Oh come on Sapphire you know  it's true. That's the only reason Blake ever married you, and the reason  he wanted you back. Your father threatened to sell his farm elsewhere  if he didn't. You'd better pray that he lives a long time if you're  counting on seeing more than one wedding anniversary, just as Blake must  be hoping that he doesn't.'

The cruelty of her gibe took Sapphire's breath away for a moment. With  tears in her eyes she cried fiercely, That's not true, Blake knows that  my father only has a matter of months to live  …  I  … '

What? What on earth are you talking about?' Miranda snapped obviously  disbelieving her. Why only last month Jim was telling me how amazed he  is by your father's stamina. It must come of coming from sturdy farming  stock,' she added, her lip curling fastidiously.

Oh I know he was seriously ill with pneumonia, but Jim told me he'd  never seen anyone recover so quickly from it, never mind a man well into  his mid-sixties. If he's told you he's at death's door, he's lying,'  she told Sapphire positively. A gleam of suspicion darkened her eyes  momentarily, her gaze narrowing as she studied Sapphire with insolent  appraisal. So that's how he got Blake to take you back,' she breathed  triumphantly at last, by telling him that he's close to death. Of  course! It would work perfectly. Poor Blake, I wonder what he's going to  say when he knows he's been deceived. I can't wait to see his face,'  she purred viciously. I don't think he's going to be too pleased about  the way you've trapped him into taking you back. Oh I grant you he's  single-minded enough to stay with you until he's got what he wants, but  that doesn't mean he'll ever really be yours or that he cares about  you.'