UnexpectedChristmas (4 page)

“You forgot to kiss it to make it well, Caro.”

She blushed again. “It looks healed already to me,
Sebastian.”

He watched her take the mug back to the kitchen, pretending
to pout, although she didn’t turn around to see his effort.

Ordinary teachers did not acquire their learning in France.

Caro was a puzzle he longed to solve.

In spite of his concern for the wood supply, he hoped they
would have another day before being rescued. For some reason, this interlude
away from the world pleased him beyond expectations. He started as a thought
struck him. Would he have enjoyed it so much without his beautiful companion?

His beautiful, intelligent, reared-like-a-lady companion.
And
don’t
forget to add innocent,
his reluctant mind told him.

Ah, if she were only not so innocent.

He could make the time more enjoyable if she were
experienced. But would his mind as well as his body be so intrigued if she were
easily available?

He couldn’t remember ever being so captivated.

He took as much time as he could before going up the stairs.
He wanted her sound asleep, preferably snoring in the most obnoxious way,
before he took the room next to hers.

Unfortunately, she was far from asleep. He could hear her
tossing and turning through the thin wall between their rooms. She muttered
from time to time and he knew she was scolding herself for being so restless.

He’d worn his greatcoat to his room after bringing in the
logs and now took it off. And put it back on. Devil take it but it was damn
cold in here. He could see his breath form when he gusted a little sigh.
Looking at the pitifully short bed, he sighed again. Either the freezing
temperature or the damn bed was enough to keep him awake.

Put them together and sleep would be impossible.

A sudden thought sent him striding out the door and knocking
on Caro’s door. What if her room was equally cold?

He could hear her shuffling and muttering and then she flung
the door open.

“I’ve never been so cold in my life. I swear this room is
filled with icicles.”

Without thinking, he reached for her and pulled her close,
wrapping his greatcoat around both of them.

“Where’s your cape, you foolish girl?”

He’d kissed the top of her hair before he realized it, as
she snuggled into him. She was quivering from head to foot with the cold and
she seemed to think him warmer than any garment she could wear.

Her teeth were chattering as she tried vainly to burrow into
him like a bunny seeking its burrow.

“I used it as a blanket but it didn’t work.”

He held her silently for a moment. He did not dare pile wood
on the banked fire in the hearth below. He was already worried their supply
would not last until they were rescued.

“I’m staying in here tonight. It’s a small room and two
bodies give off more heat than one.”

She nodded, and he noted with pleasure her shuddering had
lessened. Obviously his decision was a good one, meant entirely for her
benefit.

Don’t fool yourself, you reprobate. You’d seize any
excuse to be close to her.

Damn if he wouldn’t like to get rid of that hell-sent voice
in his head.

She reached up and patted his scratchy face.

“I much like that beard you’re sprouting. I think you should
keep a clipped beard and moustache. It makes you look like a pirate. It’s most
s—” She hesitated as if seeking the right word. “Attractive.”

He knew that wasn’t the word she’d started to use. What word
had she discarded? Could he coax it out of her later?

He hoped to God it was “seductive”.

Thinking hard but saying nothing, he led her back to the bed
and added his greatcoat to the two sparse blankets he pulled on top of her.

She started up in protest but he shushed her.

“I’ll wrap up in my blankets and sleep on the floor. I’ve
got more meat on my bones. I can do with less covering. I’ll be back with my
pillow and blankets.”

He disappeared to return with the pitifully thin blankets
and his one pillow. He found her not snuggling into sleep, as he’d expected,
but sitting upright, clutching his greatcoat around her.

“I’ll not permit this, my lord Sebastian. Obviously this
room you insisted I have is better than yours. You will not sleep on the floor
with the most inadequate of covering. You will sleep in my bed.”

Sebastian stared at her, focusing as he tried to assess what
the hell her provocative words meant.

The flush that appeared as she realized what she’d said was
more erotic than any simulated love words he’d ever experienced.

He couldn’t hold back the words that came to him.

“You called me a pirate, Caro. Pirates are known for
pillaging.”

She gulped but kept her eyes steadily on his.

“But you won’t. I know your sense of honor. I’ll put one of
my pillows between us just to make sure. See, I have two. You know as well as I
do that we need to share our warmth to get through this freezing night.”

Dammit to hell, had any man ever been presented with such a
temptation? One he in all honor had to resist? At least he gave her credit for
having no idea what she was doing to him. He was as hard and ready as he’d ever
been in his life. And in a situation where he could do nothing at all to
relieve himself. He could hardly take his cock out and knead it to relief with
her looking at him. How the hell was he going to get to sleep? It would take a
long time for an erection like he sported to diminish, even if he were not
lying beside the object of his desire.

With a groan, he climbed into bed with her. She’d placed the
pitifully inadequate barrier of a pillow between them and he lay down, forcing
himself to conjugate every Latin word he could remember. And then he counted
backward from one thousand. In spite of his painfully aroused state, he found
himself falling into the deep sleep unaccustomed activity can bring. His last
thought was that it really had been a good idea to get both of them close
enough to share their body heat. Especially since he’d proven he could rise
above the temptation of her disturbing presence.

Utter fatigue was a wonderful thing.

* * * * *

Hours later he woke up, painfully aroused again by the
supple body draped over his. She’d cast aside the pillow and was nestled
against him, blissfully asleep as she snuggled against the only warmth in the
cold room.

He looked down at the golden hair flowing against his chest
and silently cursed the most damnable situation he’d ever been in. Finally he
eased himself gently from under her and sat on the edge of the bed. He’d get no
more sleep tonight. He certainly couldn’t stay there with his rigid cock poking
into her soft stomach. He’d enter her before she even knew what he was about.

He draped his greatcoat more closely around her and rose.

Time to go check the fires.

Both those in this goddamn inn and in his regrettable body.

He’d not counted on his unpredictable Caro. He felt her arms
wrap around him, as she laid her cheek against his shoulder.

“Sebastian, why would you want to get up so early? Come back
and lie beside me again. I’m so much warmer and feel safer when you’re with
me.”

Sheer desperation drove Sebastian. If he didn’t do something
he’d turn on her like a ravaging wolf and tear her innocence to shreds.

“Damn it. Caro, are you so innocent you don’t know what you
do to me? You’re far from safe with me. If I stay in bed another minute I’ll
turn on you, ravage you and take your innocence. No one will marry you then,
unless you manage to convince the fool you’re still a virgin. I won’t do that
to you, although God know there’s nothing in this world I’d rather do.”

There was a short silence, although she did take her warm
arms from around him.

“I don’t want you to leave me. Is there anything I can do to
make you feel better so you’ll stay?”

Sebastian was not sure her words came from an angel or a
devil.

He gave a short laugh.

“Of course there is. But it’s nothing an untried lady like
you should even know about. It’s something a man does with his wife or a whore.
You’re neither.”

Sebastian doubted she even understood what he was saying,
and he started to rise again.

She held him tightly.

“Don’t go, Sebastian. I don’t know what you mean but you can
surely teach me. Your body is so beautiful. I’m sure I can please you if you
just show me how.”

Sebastian’s groan was audible. It would be so easy to show
her, to wrap her fingers around his rampant erection and move them up and down
until he exploded with relief.

When she said nothing more, he started to rise again. And
again she pulled him back,

Sebastian shut his eyes. He’d get no rest at all unless he
eased his aching cock, and she wasn’t about to let him leave the bed. Being
brutally frank with her would doubtless cause her to drop her arms at once.

He turned to face her. “Are you willing to caress my cock
until I shoot my semen in your hand? It’s not what I want from you but it’s
better than nothing. Do you even know what I’m saying, Caro? You’re so goddamn
innocent I shouldn’t even ask.”

She’d turned a fiery red but she faced him with a clear,
determined look.

“I want to please you, Sebastian. Show me what to do.”

Wordlessly, he pulled down his trousers and underpants and
exposed his pulsing cock. Caro stared at it with fascination but did not flinch
away. Sebastian couldn’t remember ever being this big. He was surprised she
hadn’t run screaming from the room. Certainly she’d never seen anything like
the erection he was sporting. For that matter, neither had he.

Taking her hand, he wrapped her fingers around his cock.
Keeping his hand over hers, he showed her how to stroke him, how to tighten her
grip and how to move her fingers up and down and send him to heaven. He’d never
been so inflamed by a hand, but then it was Caro’s hand.

That seemed to make all the difference in the world. He
could almost imagine he was in her body, the walls of her vagina clutching him
as tightly as her unexpectedly talented hand. Her head was lowered,
concentrating on pleasuring him, and her breathing quickened as his body began
to stiffen.

An intense wave of pleasure astonished him, but he kept her
fingers under his, moving their hands with increasing speed as an ecstasy he’d
not expected intensified with the delicious motion. He threw back his head,
trying to take deep breaths to prolong the incredible feeling.

Keeping his hand on hers so she would not relax her grip, he
climaxed with a deep groan, shooting his semen on the floor beside the bed.

He finally recovered enough breath to wrap her in his arms
and bring them both down flat on the bed.

“Caro, that was wonderful. I thank you, love.” He grinned.
“Another of your talents I didn’t know about.”

The second he said it he knew his callous remarks were not
appropriate.

She looked at him with no embarrassment but rather with
curiosity.

“Can you make me feel that good, Sebastian? I know you
enjoyed it.”

He grinned a smile of sheer satisfaction.

“Of course I can. Would you like me to try? There are
several ways I can please you if you permit me.”

She was silent for a long enough time to worry him. Had he
angered her after all with his display of selfish satisfaction? Had he lost all
her respect for him? Damn, his momentary satiation meant nothing compared to
Caro’s regard.

“No, I think not. I know I’d love anything you show me but
you are not for me Sebastian. We both know that. Let’s leave it at that. I’m
glad I could please you. Now move so I can get dressed. It’s early but there’s
a lot to do.”

He let her go then silently dressed.

His body felt wonderful. He’d never had so much pleasure
from masturbation. Unfortunately, his mind regretted what he’d done. He hadn’t
taken Caro’s innocence but he’d sullied it.

Still, he couldn’t sorry for anything except that he hadn’t
pleasured her. Perhaps tonight he could show her how her own body could please
her.

But only with his hand and lips, of course.

Damn it, he’d better go split some more wood.

* * * * *

By the time he’d stoked the banked fires in both the kitchen
stove and the main fireplace, he was considerably worried. There were few more
logs to split. He estimated that with care they had enough to get through
another day. Surely someone would rescue them before a third day had passed.

He sat as close to the embers as he could get. Caro was
bustling around in the kitchen with considerable clanging of pots and pans.
He’d wait until she spoke to him to enter the kitchen and add enough wood to
the stove so she could cook more of those blasted eggs. Then perhaps they
should limit themselves to the fire in the fireplace. That would help stretch
the supply. Cursing silently, he sat and waited for Caro to call him for
breakfast. No matter what, he would not allow that precious girl to perish.

* * * * *

She finally came out of the kitchen, his greatcoat draped
around her slight frame. As soon as she saw him, though, she gave him the
sweetest smile he could remember.

“That was such a good solution. I felt much warmer after you
showed me things I never knew could be so pleasurable.”

He was almost too stunned to answer.

“Don’t thank me too soon, Caro. I enjoyed it more than you
know.”

She didn’t seem to think his remark odd, as she took the
coat from around her shoulders and handed it to him. Thank god she hadn’t
noticed his cock again pushing against his pants. Damn if just the sight of her
didn’t give him an erection. And this time he couldn’t satisfy it. He knew
nothing but thrusting into her body would satisfy him now.

“Here. You’ll need it to go get the wood. I will do very
well to get breakfast started.”

He couldn’t bear to tell her his worries about the wood
running out. He’d try to limit the use as much as he could, and if they were
rescued tomorrow they would be all right.

Surely at least the innkeeper should return tomorrow. It
hadn’t snowed all day yesterday and roads should be getting more passable.

“I’ve got good and bad news,” he said lightly. “We are
almost out of eggs. That’s good because I don’t think I’ll be able to face eggs
for months after we leave here. It also means we can bank the fires after
breakfast and save more of the wood supply. The bad news is we’re down to
cheese and a little bread.”

Instead of breaking into “Oh my,” or whatever distressed
females say, she sat silently thinking.

“We never investigated under the bar itself. Do you suppose
there’s anything edible behind the counter?”

He blew out his breath. “My dear girl, once again you
astonish me. Let’s go see.”