Kidnapped (5 page)

 “Oh, Yes” Alexis breathed, lifting her hips more firmly to meet his touch even as her hands busily began pulling the buttons from his shirt. They popped off quite easily and
fell helter skelter across her body landing against her soft abdomen and full, ripe breasts.
 

 Gabriel shrugged the shirt off his shoulders once the last button was gone and Alexis gaped at his beautifully sculpted chest. Tentatively she reached out her hand and ran her fingers over the rippling flesh of his stomach, giggling when the muscles jumped beneath her touch.
 

Taking a finger, she pressed tiny circles around his dusky nipples in fascination before moving on to run her fingers languorously through the light trail of hair upon his chest, she had never seen a naked man before and Gabriel was fascinating.
 

 Gabriel stilled her hand with a scorching kiss that left her gasping for breath, but still, Alexis refused to be deterred from her task and set about immediently unbuttoning his tan colored breeches. She wanted him to be as gloriously naked as she.
 

The buttons were exceedingly hard to work lose with his arousal pushed against them so snugly, but finally she succeeded and watched in eager delight as his erection sprang free of the confines of the pants. Gabriel finally gave up trying to convince her their love making would be a bad idea and kicked off his breeches.
 

 “What now?” Alexis asked in a husky voice, placing a kiss to his collarbone at the same time she tentatively began to stroke the rigid shaft of his arousal. It was an odd mixture of silky hardness that had Alexis experimentally rubbing her fingers from base to tip.
 

 Gabriel wheezed for breath at her stroking before gently disentangled her fingers from his staff. “Not yet Darling or this will be over before it’s begun” He ground out between his teeth and Alexis giggled at his obvious discomfort, it was exactly how she had felt before her release had claimed her.
 

“You think this is funny do you?” Gabriel shot her a look that promised retribution and immediately set to work licking and suckling her breasts back to the turgid peaks they had been earlier. Alexis gasped and clung to him frantically, her hips began to seek his, arching ardently as he licked and suckled harder. His fingers found their home nestled between her legs and after a moment of teasing; he withdrew his dampened fingers and nudged his cock into the annex of her legs.
 

Gabriel rubbed himself along her wet folds a moment, heightening her arousal before he slowly began to breach her. Alexis instinctively tensed against the foreign entry; he was very large, but Gabriel kissed her gently teasing her until she forgot the discomfort and relaxed, arching her hips towards him eagerly. It was only then, with a swift penetrating thrust, that he met and filled her. Alexis cried out in pain, biting her lip, as she felt her maidenhead tear.
 

Gabriel held very still, kissing her and crooning his apology gently in her ear. The pain did not last long and soon Alexis began to once more feel the arousing pull of desire as Gabriel’s tongue circled her breasts, gently pinching her nipple between his thumb and forefinger until she cried out in pleasure at his touch, only then did he began to move once more. Going slow at first, then faster and faster, as Alexis quickly picked up the
new rhythm and joined him in willful abandon, resulting in an instantaneous culmination for them both.
 

 Gabriel cried out at the same time Alexis also found her completion and the two lay panting together still joined for several moments, until Gabriel noticed the chill on Alexis’ damp skin and insisted on carefully bundling her up in his coat and taking her indoors to warm by the fire.
 

    Dinner was a very intimate affair; Gabriel dismissed the servants for the evening and they sat very close to one another side by side at the table in the candle light, feeding each other small morsels with their fingers. Gabriel could not remember a time when he had been quite so relaxed and happy.
 

 Afterwards, he took her to bed in the master bedroom, and as the two lay in the happy glow of their love making they talked. “I think that we need to try to salvage your reputation, we cannot stay here forever, though I would like too.” Fear seized at Alexis at his words.
 

 “We cannot tell people that you are the one who kidnapped me…” Her voice was edged with panic. “You are an Earl, tis true, but you very well could end up in prison, especially if Delacourt uses his influence.”
 

 Gabriel smiled at her concern for him. “He most likely will try… but darling, I did do it.” He spoke evenly, fully aware that he might very well end up in prison for his misdeeds. Alexis snuggled into him tightly a moment, unable to stand the idea of Gabriel in prison, before jumping up with a delighted giggle as an idea struck her.
 

 “I may have a plan...” Gabriel was temporarily distracted by the sway of her full breasts, but managed to pull his attention back to her face after only the briefest of moments.
 

 “What if we tell a tale that you rescued me from the kidnappers?” Alexis grinned at him conspiratorially. “You were ever so brave, fighting them all off… especially the leader for he was ever so big.” Alexis looked completely serious, and Gabriel laughed.
 

 “Do you really think people would believe that I fought ten armed men to save you?” He asked, causing Alexis to scoff.
 

 “Of course not that would be ridiculous; they separated and went their own ways shortly after the kidnapping; it was only three armed men that you had to slay to rescue me.” Gabriel burst into laughter at her ingenuity and hugged her tightly to his chest.
 

“Well, I suppose if you do not mind encouraging the mistruth, I will not object to avoiding a prison cell.” Gabriel relented smiling. “We can also tell them that I was so enamored by your obvious charms that I offered you marriage on the spot.”
 

 Alexis laughed at the silly idea, but her laughter was short lived when she saw the serious look upon his face.
 

“Surely you are not serious?” Gabriel nodded, and Alexis’s heart raced, she had a moment of such pure delight that she wanted to scream yes from the roof top; instead she shook her head, though it hurt her heart to do so.
 

 “I do not want you offering marriage out of some misguided, noble idea to appease your honor.” She protested vehemently, and Gabriel stiffened at her tone. “I do not want
you to marry me to protect me from Delacourt.” Gabriel looked as though he wanted to say something, but Alexis doggedly ignored him and continued, for she was determined to have her say. “…Or because I gave you my innocence, it was mine to give, and I did not do it to trap you into marriage.” Her chin rose mutinously a fraction of an inch and Gabriel had to smile at her defiant look. Not stopping there, he kissed her defiant little chin before replying.
 

 “I
am
offering you marriage partly because I want to protect you from Delacourt.” She looked mutinous. “I am also offering you marriage because I bedded you and took your innocence.” Her eyes flashed dangerously now, and Gabriel paused to stare for a moment at how adorable she looked when she was furious.
 

“But I am also offering for you because I am wildly attracted to you, had I not been, I would never have gone against my honor and bedded you.” Alexis had begun to smile now, however; it was very slight.
 

 “I like being around you.” He caressed her hand and smiled at her. “And simply because this daring rescue plot is fabrication, I still would not hesitate to take on ten armed men or even one hundred armed men to get you back if you were ever taken from me.” Alexis felt that special heat in her belly at his words.
 

 She remembered Delacourt, the day of their marriage as he simply stood there watching them drag her off, and knew instinctively that Gabriel spoke the truth. He would have fought them tooth and nail for her; he might have even won.
 

 “Then I will marry you” She interrupted him midsentence, and the look of relief upon his face at her words was just more proof that she was doing the right thing.
 

    They left early the next morning; Gabriel had somehow gotten a message to his coachman, and the man appeared bright and early the next day. In preparation for the journey, Alexis dressed in a soft gown of muslin green that went well with her hair.
 

 Alexis beamed at the coachman’s surprised look and gave him a cheery, “Good morning Henderson.” She was certain the change in her attitude over the past two days had him deeply puzzled. Alexis fell asleep almost instantly once they were on their way; for she had not gotten a lot of sleep the night before, as she and Gabriel had celebrated their betrothal by making love until dawn.
 

 Gabriel, whom she had been snuggled up against shook her gently when they reached a coaching inn, once more they did not stop very much, only to change fresh horses and once so that Alexis could relieve herself. They shared a picnic hamper much like they had the first time, only this time they laughed and talked together, feeding each other the plump red strawberries that they found in the basket, and the only time Alexis was tied up was once, when they made passionate love.
 

It was nearing midnight when they reached London; Gabriel wanted to deliver her to her parent’s house immediently, but Alexis pleaded with him, to allow her to spend one last night with him.
 

 “We will have all the time in the world once we are wed; besides I do not want to sully your good name further.” Alexis grudgingly agreed, though she felt nervous and ill at
ease as they pulled up in front of her families’ massive mansion in Mayfair. Gabriel sensing her unease, gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, a moment before the door was opened by a surprised footman.
 

“Miss Grant!” The man exclaimed in pleasure and Alexis nodded to the man.
 

 “Are my parents at home?” She barely got the words out before she was bombarded by her sisters who had obviously been spying to see who was at the door.
 

 “Lexis” They cried in unison, as all three of them began to smother her with hugs and kisses.  Alexis hugged them back, genuinely happy to see them and then all of a sudden they parted and her mother and father were there. Her mother fell upon her weeping, and even her father had tears in his eyes. His head was bound in a large bandage, causing Alexis to cast Gabriel an angry look, at the sight of it. It was then that her entire family seemed to notice Gabriel and all of a sudden everyone was talking at once. Several moments went by where Alexis and Gabriel could not make heads nor tails of what everyone was shouting; their words ran together in a fevered jumble. Finally, her father seized control of the situation and sent the three younger girls off to their rooms, where they would no doubt continue to listen through a vent. Motioning Alexis and Gabriel into his study, her mother came along also.
 

 “What in the devil happened to you my girl? We were so worried.” Her mother broke down and began to sob quietly into her hands at her husband’s words, and Gabriel hastily offered her his handkerchief. Gabriel and Alexis had rehearsed what they were going to say in the carriage during the long trip so Alexis immediently fell into the story; Gabriel stayed silently at her side.
 

 “The Earl of Adderly rescued me Mama; he saved my life” Alexis beamed at Gabriel at these words, for they were true, he had saved her… from the Marquis.
 

Gabriel looked uncomfortable at her parent’s profuse gratitude, and Alexis grinned widely at his discomfort. They had decided to wait to announce their engagement until Alexis had officially broken her betrothal to the Marquis. Alexis, unable to stifle a yawn drew everybody’s attention, and at her parent’s insistence, she was hustled off to bed. She wished that she could have had a moment alone with Gabriel, but it was apparently not to be. Her mother followed her up the stairs and tucked her lovingly into bed, acting the Lady's maid for her, while her father continued to speak to Gabriel in his study.
 

“A piece of my heart was missing while you were away.” Her mother told her, planting a soft kiss to her brow before she turned and left the room. Alexis could hear her mother lecturing the younger girls sternly to let her rest. So Alexis was not surprised when a moment later, after her mother had no doubt gone downstairs to bid the Earl adieu, her three sisters came pouring into the room and jumped excitedly upon her bed.
 

“The Earl is ever so handsome” Millie said dreamily and all three girls began to talk at once.
 

 “Were you scared?”
 

“Did the Earl kill the kidnappers?”
 

“It sounds ever so romantic” Beatrice sighed dreamily.
 

 Alexis finally got to sleep an hour later with all three of her sisters curled up in bed around her, she missed Gabriel terribly, but her sisters were a reassuring presence in his stead.
 

    The next morning, Alexis could not make a move without one or the other member of her family crowding her, midmorning she received an excessively large bouquet of exotic hot house flowers that were sent along with Gabriel’s calling card. Alexis smelled the roses and lilies dreamily, a moment before the butler interrupted her.
 

“You have a caller Miss; it tis your fiancé Lord Blakely. Alexis felt a shiver of disgust roll over her, but she firmed up her shoulders and nodded to the footman. The door swung open a moment later, and the Marquis glided regally into the room.
 

 Alexis watched him and wondered how she could ever have been fooled by his artificial charm. He was dressed severely in black, as was his custom, a style that rather made him appear similar to an over grown crow. Gabriel’s own style of dress was so different, incorporating a touch of color, usually a blue that exactly matched his eyes that she wondered why she had never noticed how evil it made the Marquis look, before.