Page 30 of A Matter of Time
Harry appeared embarrassed by this proclamation, but chimed in, “I’m a very lucky man. I have the best family in the world.”
Everyone said their goodbyes, with hugs and kisses all around and then Nick, Richard and Angelina made their way back to her little cottage.
“I need to sleep,” Nick announced.
“I’ll get you set up in the guest room.” Angelina unlocked the front door and led them inside. “Follow me.”
Nick dutifully followed her down the hall, Richard right behind him, making sure that Nick made it down the narrow hall without incident. She barely got the covers pulled down before Nick face-planted himself onto the bed, one arm and leg hanging off the side, and passed out. She couldn’t help laughing at the comical way he had landed. “Help me get him all the way onto the bed.”
Richard turned Nick onto his back with little effort, which solved the problem of the dangling arm and leg. He removed Nick’s boots and covered him with the blanket, before they both stood for a moment watching Nick sleep and then exiting the room together. “He’ll sleep well,” Richard said, closing the door.
“He’ll be sorry tomorrow though, I think,” Angelina added.
Richard chuckled and followed Angelina back into the living room, where she started a fire in the fireplace. The setting sun had brought quite a chill to the air and the fire would warm the small room nicely. They both sat in silence, staring into the flames, each lost to their own thoughts. The soft glow of the fire was the only light in the room and the mesmerizing popping and crackling of the wood the only sound. As they sat down, Richard drew Angelina’s attention to a light outside that seemed to be moving from left to right and back again.
“What’s that?” he asked, getting up to look through the window.
“That’s odd. I don’t know what it is.” She joined him at the window. Before she could utter another word, Richard had turned swiftly and darted for the door, opening it and silently heading out into the darkness.What is he doing?she wondered. She followed him but as she got to the door, she heard someone curse. Glancing back towards the window, she noticed the light they’d seen suddenly disappear and then she heard the sound of someone running through the brush. She made it outside, just as Richard disappeared from sight. It was a new moon, so there was no ambient light to help her see what was happening. She tried to follow Richard, but only got as far as the edge of her property when he came back, carrying a flashlight.
“Someone was outside your cottage. They dropped this light stick when they ran off. I was unable to catch up with them before they got to their car and drove away.” Richard took her by the arm and led her back toward the house. “You shouldn’t have followed me out.”
“What?” Angelina bristled. “Why not? I’ve told you before that I can take care of myself!”
“I’m very aware that you can take care of yourself.” Richard gave the area one final scan before joining Angelina inside. “I’d like it if you’d allow me to take care of you this time. Call it my male pride, or whatever you’d like, but while I know you are completely capable of besting most men when you have a sword and dagger in hand, what is the harm in allowing me to do what I do best?”
The hurt expression on his face had Angelina thinking carefully about his question. Hadn’t she recently been thinking about how nice it would be to have someone who wanted to take care of her and here he was, standing right in front of her, offering her his protection and she’d been angry about it. That was no way to treat him. “I’m sorry, Richard. You’re right. I guess after all these years of fending for myself, I have yet to learn how to let someone else do it for me. I’ll do my best to allow it.”
“I don’t want you to stop being who you are, because that’s what makes you so beautiful to me. I love your independent nature and the fact that you don’t need anyone’s help, but every now and again, let me take care of you. Allow me that small joy on occasion.”
How could she possibly refuse him? He was the fairytale knight in shining armor that she’d dreamed of as a child, and he’d come to rescue her from herself.
“Do you have any idea who that might have been?” Richard peered through the window into the darkness and then turned back to her for an answer.
“I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s the first time they’ve been here.” Angelina sat on the sofa and Richard settled beside her.
“Do you mean to tell me that this has happened before?”
“Several days ago, I found footprints in the damp dirt near the spot where that light was coming from and I’ve had the feeling recently that someone is watching me, but I can’t imagine who it would be, or why they would bother.” Angelina had to admit to herself, that this was becoming more frightening as she added all the little incidents together.
“And you didn’t tell Nick or me about it?” Richard sounded as if he couldn’t believe his ears.
“No. I thought it was my imagination at first, but now I know it wasn’t.” She searched his face for any sign of his mood. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”
Richard shook his head in apparent disbelief. “Angelina, if anything had happened to you, both Nick and I would be devastated. Please, don’t allow this to happen again. At the first sign of anything unusual, I expect you to tell us.” The concern on his face touched Angelina’s heart. He really did care about her and she knew now that she could definitely count on him to be there for her, no matter the situation.
“I’m sorry,” she said, as Richard put his arm around her and pulled her close. She snuggled up against him, the warmth of his body reassuring her that everything was going to be all right.
Chapter 15
Angelina savoredthe comfort of being wrapped in Richard’s arms, the steady beat of his heart against her ear, his manly scent enveloping her senses. The soft sounds of the burning wood, crackling in the fireplace was the only other sound intruding on this special moment and Angelina found herself overwhelmed by the intense desire to have Richard make love to her. They had danced around their attraction to one another from the first day they’d met, but in this moment, Angelina made up her mind she was going to have him. When she wriggled out of his arms, Richard groaned in protest, but she grabbed his hand and drew him along the hallway toward her bedroom.
“Angelina?” Richard posed her name as a question as she drew him into her room. She remained mute, closing the door behind them. Coiling her arms around his neck, she drew his head down, and proceeded to kiss him with every ounce of the passion that had been building up for days. She nipped at his lips with her teeth and he picked up on the cue, answering her, kiss for kiss. His arms were vise-like, holding her firmly against his chest. Their tongues entwined, hungrily tasting one another, learning each other. Angelina lowered her arms from his neck, slipping her hands between them to unbutton Richard’s jeans. Unzipping the fly, she found him ready and waiting for her. She wasn’t about to let the fact that he was so much taller than her be a hindrance, and she pulled his shirt up and over his head. She had wanted to do that since meeting him and she came to a standstill for a moment, admiring what she had revealed. He was beautiful. Angelina greedily ran her hands over his chest and down to his abs.
Richard, for his part, had managed to do some undressing of his own. Angelina wasn’t sure how it had happened, but she was standing there, completely naked. Richard was kissing her neck and nipping at her earlobe. The sensations she was experiencing under his gentle touch were unlike any she’d ever had before. Maybe this is what it was like, when you really cared for the other person. Moans escaped her lips when Richard reached between her thighs and slid his fingers through her warm, wet slit making contact with her sensitive pearl. Angelina’s legs trembled as she opened herself up to him, riding his hand as he slid his fingers in and out of her slick sheath. Her breath came in small gasps and the sensations were building with every passing second. Angelina grasped Richard’s shoulders when he dropped onto his knees. He gripped her thighs with his hands and used his mouth to lick and nibble at her nub, sending her soaring into ecstasy and she collapsed across his shoulder, calling out his name on a sigh.
Richard liftedAngelina into his arms and laid her across the bed, trailing kisses from her neck to her breasts. First one, and then the other, was lavished with his attention and he marveled at the way Angelina’s body responded to his every touch. This was the woman he wanted, and this was exactly how he wanted her. Seeing how much she enjoyed his caresses made him grow even harder. Every moan brought him to the brink and the way she bit her lip and writhed beneath his touch was more pleasure than he could bear. His body strummed with tension and he couldn’t wait a second longer. Dragging his attention away from her breasts, Richard levered himself over the top of Angelina, settling between her thighs. He ached to enter her, but first he teased her entrance with the tip of his manhood, ensuring she was ready for him. She squirmed beneath him, her desire to have him inside of her written plainly in her rapturous expression. He could not deny her and in one pulsating beat, he entered her fully. As he moved inside her, he marveled at the soft, velvety walls holding tightly over his rigid length. The need to spill his seed was overwhelming, but he wished to wait for Angelina to join him in climax. They would reach for the stars together. As highly sensitized as they both were in this moment, their bodies hummed and pulsed together, erupting in a crescendo of ecstasy.
They lay entwined in each other’s arms, legs twisted together and panting from exertion. Angelina gently kissed his chest and his heart almost burst with the love he held for her. “Angelina…” he began to speak, but she covered his lips with her finger, stopping him.
