The Fire's Center (38 page)

After so long apart, it was like a joyous homecoming, their bodies merging and melding in perfect unison as though they belonged together for all time.

For Riona it was a wondrous as the first time, the surging sensations only Lucien could bring making her feel whole, complete.

Yet even in the throes of such ecstasy, at the back of his mind,, Lucien told himself he was wrong. That he shouldn’t be taking advantage of Riona so foully again.

He knew he had only been stung into pressing his advances once more tonight due to his jealousy of Charles Durance spending time with Riona, while he had hardly seen her in the days since they had come home from Wicklow together. Let alone the nights…

All the same, Lucien wanted Riona. He hated her avoiding him, and the thought of her leaving the house, leaving
him
, filled him but terror.

As that image rose up unbidden, Lucien made love to her as though his life depended on it.

Even Riona marvelled at the intensity of his passion, so unlike anything she had experienced from him before. He brought them to a first climax, and then another in rapid succession, his body never still as he writhed and surged against her, thrusting ever deeper as though delving into the heart of the mystery of their flaming passion. Holding her against his hammering heart and loins as though he never wanted to be parted from her again.

Riona revelled in every thrust, every kiss, her breasts peaking against his chest as she surrendered to the boiling of their blood, the scorching of their skin, the sensation of two souls seeking and finding one another at last in a perfect union with no beginning, and no end.

"Lucien, my love!" she gasped, the words ripped from her as a third explosion ripped through them both, and left them utterly spent.

Lucien drowsily rolled off her onto his side and pulled her tightly into the spoon of his body. Soon his even breathing told her he was asleep.

But for Riona, peaceful repose was a bit more elusive. She had no regrets about what had happened between them, but she prayed he would not again in the morning.

Yet after the way he had just acted, she was beginning to hope that that was not going to be the case. She has sensed a change in him in Wicklow, and again now. That the more he opened to passion, the more eagerly he sought it. The less repressed she was by her own fears regarding her inadequacies and status in his life, the better he was able to express his normally tightly controlled emotions.

Riona snuggled against his long, lean frame as another small flicker of hope lit in her breast.

Was it possible he was seeing how they were made for each other? Was it possible that the great Lucien Woulfe was actually falling in love with her at last?

After their magical night, during which Riona began to hope that Lucien was falling in love with her as much as she was falling in love with him, she woke to find the bed empty, but with a note on her pillow apologising.

It simply read, "I'm sorry."

Sorry for what?
she wondered sadly. The argument, or the passion they had shared?

She rose from the bed with a heavy heart, and began to get ready for yet another day of studying and assisting at the clinic.

Another few days of Riona avoiding Lucien other passed, until one night after a particularly long day, and a tedious business dinner, Lucien felt himself unutterably weary of the battle he had fought so valiantly, and decided to surrender the fight.
 

Without thinking, he mounted the stairs just as the clock chimed midnight.

After pacing his own room restlessly, wondering if he dared, he donned his dressing gown, went up to Riona’s room, and slipped quietly in the door.

The lamp was unlit, and Lucien was almost going to leave, when he thought to himself, "There’s no harm in just sleeping with her, is there?"

Riona murmured drowsily as he snuggled up against her, "Lucien?"

"I’m here, my love, I’m here," he murmured softly against her shell-like ear.

He cupped his body around hers, and fell asleep with a contented sigh almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

His inner struggles diminishing at last, Lucien began to spend every night with Riona, and for both it was a magical, blissful time, shadowy and mysterious.

Lucien gave up trying to fight the attraction he felt for Riona and simply enjoyed being with her. There was no talk of medicine, only whispered endearments, tender caresses, and often just the sheer pleasure of lying in each other’s arms just before drifting off to sleep, or holding each other close early in the morning when the rest of the world was still slumbering.

"Like Adam and Eve," Lucien joked once as he opened the window and saw a clear dew-drenched morning outside in the garden Riona had been nurturing so lovingly for the past few weeks.

Riona nodded, but couldn’t help recalling with a pang that that unhappy couple had lost their paradise.

Another morning he greeted her with breakfast in bed, and they partook lavishly of a banquet which had nothing to do with food.

Another morning, he brought her down to his room for a steaming bath and some even more steamy hours of pampering her and catering to her every whim.

The feel of his body was so perfect, every touch and caress more erotic than the next, that she really began to fear she had a wanton nature, until he echoed her sentiments. That as wonderfully satisfying as it all was, it still left them craving more.

Yet another morning, she managed to rouse him with a full body massage, which led to even more education in human anatomy for both of them as the sunshine blazed through the open shutters, bathing their bodies in a golden glow.

Riona knew it was love, pure and simple. The question was, for a complicated man of the world like Lucien, could it ever be either?
 

"Wake up, sleepy head, today’s the fete, and we have to be over at Quentin’s by nine to start getting things ready," Lucien coaxed one bright Saturday morning in early May, as he kissed Riona tenderly and then stroked her tousled auburn hair back from her face.

"It’s going to be a long day," she groaned, looping one arm around Lucien’s neck for a quick hug.

"I’ll be right by your side, Riona, I promise," Lucien reassured her.

After some tender snuggling under the covers, they rose drowsily and got started with their day.

Riona dressed carefully in her flowered calico dress, while Lucien went downstairs to put on a light summer-weight blue jacket, cream-coloured waistcoat and fawn trousers. Then together they checked the boxes one last time to make sure their costumes were in order.

"Have you got everything, Riona?"

"I think so."

"Then I’ll bring these down to the carriage, while you go see about breakfast."

Lucien kissed her on the lips, and then disappeared out of the door.

Riona skipped downstairs, and thought of the fun they would have and the money they would manage to raise for the clinic.

After a quick breakfast, they drove out to the fine country mansion which Quentin had built for Antoinette with no expense spared. It was built of pale cream-coloured stone, with an elegant fan light above the door, and two massive wings which spread out on either side of the central block.

A vast drive led up to the house. The magnificent lawn swept down to a small stream with an attractive boat house. Riona noted that the left hand pavilion was home to a lush greenhouse, and she asked if she could see inside it.

"Of course, my dear. In fact, I've already spoken to Quentin about your bringing some of your herbs out here as well, so we can have a supply all year around."

"How lovely, thank you." Riona smiled up at him.

"You're lovely, my dear," he said, beaming back at her.

"Thank you. So are you."

He laughed at that as he lifted Riona down out of the coach carefully, and gallantly helped her up the stairs into the foyer, where he assisted her in removing her cloak and bonnet.

Then he took Riona on a guided tour of the house. He showed her the library, the study, ballroom, morning room, drawing room, and dining room.

"The house was modelled after a similar one owned by my family which was destroyed by a fire about thirty years ago. Quentin liked the rather square eighteenth-century look, and of course the arcades are intended to make the house look much larger, though in truth there is really little behind the facades apart from the corridors leading to the greenhouse on the left and the music room on the right."

"It’s lovely," Riona praised as she admired the library and the elegant ballroom.

"It’s certainly a far cry from the town house in Merrion Square West," Lucien commented, finding Antoinette’s taste a little overblown.

"Well, really, there is no comparison. Merrion Square West is your home. This is, well, a museum," Riona whispered.

Lucien put his arm around Riona fondly as he led her through each room, earning himself a dagger-sharp glance from Antoinette as she at last swept down the stairs to greet him.

She pointedly ignored Riona as she grasped Lucien’s arm to lead him away, and instructed the servants to take his costume out of the carriage and up to the bedroom at the top of the stairs.

Antoinette smiled sweetly. "I’ve put you in the red room as usual. I’m sure the manservant will see to all your needs."

Lucien saw Antoinette was hurtfully neglecting Riona, and replied smoothly, "I’m sure I won’t need anything, but Riona might have to avail herself of one of your maids to dress. I can make do with any room myself, Antoinette."

"Yes, yes." Antoinette waved away the matter impatiently.

Just they were about to ascend the stairs to view the room in question, two remarkably fair-haired children came scampering down the stairs and launched themselves into Lucien’s arms.

"Uncle Lucien, Uncle Lucien, we’re so glad to see you!" the pair chirped.

"And I you. And I have a very special friend with me, your cousin Riona," Lucien added, with a wink at Riona.

"Riona, may I present Neville and Lisette Woulfe."