“You haven’t, um.” She gestured at his side of the bed. What had become his side of the bed. “You haven’t.” Now she was blushing. “I like being with you. Maybe more things with you?” Now she was near beet red, and Griffin couldn’t help grinning. He reached up to touch her cheek, running his thumb over the arch of her skin.
“I haven’t wanted to press you. There have been a lot of new things. And, well. You’ve been willing to share my bed, but I didn’t want to make assumptions about whether you wanted to save some things for marriage or what.”
“Marriage.” Her nose wrinkled up. Then she was giggling. “A little fast, sir.”
“I wasn’t suggesting it yet!” He was laughing now too, because honestly, this was a ridiculous conversation, even if it was also utterly lacking in discomfort. They obviously had a thing to talk out. He was confident they’d manage it in good humour and come to some agreeable decision. Granted, part of that was that there were a lot of ways this could go that he’d be fine with. Basically any of the options other than her storming out into the night.
She considered, stretching out on her side, head on one elbow. It meant less distraction, with fewer ways for their hands to wander, and a little more effort to kiss. “I said I’d done some things with other people. Mostly one. We were not really engaged, but we were sort of heading that way.”
Griffin considered, then reached with his fingers to touch her hand, where it had settled between them on the bed. “What happened?”
“He found someone else, and also more prospects in York. Further inland. And I couldn’t have left Whitby then, either. We went to bed enough times that I missed it. And it wasn’t so good that I went out looking for more of it from someone who’d understand the, the, um.”
“Living in a community where everyone knows everyone else’s business,” Griffin agreed. “I mean, I understand that part, even if Trellech’s a bigger place.”
“The amount of gossip people pass on, obviously.” She had been aware all along that Griffin had been teased about her a number of times in the past fortnight. Most of it was kind enough, but not all of it had been approving.
He let his fingers tighten against Annice’s for a moment, looking down at their hands rather than at her face for this part. “I haven’t much since I came back. Enough to know I could, but never with the right person. A couple of people wanted to nursemaid me, do everything, assume I couldn’t.”
“That seems tedious.” Annice leaned in slowly to kiss his lips. “I don’t do that.”
“You don’t. I like that we’re sharing it. You’re faster in the morning. It does take me a bit longer. Sorting out clothing and washing and getting ready. It’s nice to come out, and the tea’s already steeping and there’s breakfast. But I think I do my part.”
“More than your part,” Annice pointed out. “If I were in Whitby, I’d be doing all the work myself, and the cleaning and all the shopping. And all the laundry. I don’t miss that at all, even if the charms help a lot.” Here, it disappeared on laundry day, and reappeared the next, all folded. “It feels like a holiday, and it feels like…” Her breath caught, and she stopped, blushing again.
“I hope, very much, you’ll be here for a long time. With me. In some form, and maybe that will change.” Griffin hesitated for a second. “Would you like a bit more of the physical than we’ve done?” He hadn’t wanted to pressure her, not when she was dealing with so many other new things and figuring out what she might want.
“Now?” She met his eyes, then she nodded once, cautiously. “What sort of things?”
Griffin pushed up a bit more on his right elbow, letting his left hand drift to settle in the dip of her waist and the curve of her hip. “It’s Saturday night. We can take our time, not rush in the morning. A good time for a bit of exploration.” He let out a breath. “Been a while for me, as I said. My arms are fine, my hips generally are. Anything that takes standing’s obviously not a good choice for me. Maybe not being up on my knees, but I don’t really know. You could be on top of me, if you like, but I don’t know if that makes you shy. We might have to do some experimentation. And of course, I’ve only the beginnings of an idea about what you like.” Her breath caught. He was absolutely close enough to hear it and feel the way it shifted her body. “You tell me what you’d like to try, and we’ll go from there.”
She shifted, then, onto her back, though one of her hands slipped down to take his, letting them rest on her stomach. “I’m nervous. It’s a big step. A lot of other big steps, some of which I’m still not quite ready to think about.” Then she was tugging his fingers up toward her chest. “You’ve been showing me how to love Trellech. Show me how to love you. Bumps and all. Show me what you know about me so far.”
Griffin nodded. “A specific landscape, full of treasures.” He considered his options, then said the phrase that would dim the lights, just enough for them to see each other comfortably. “So I, erm, know the scope of the explorations. Is there anything I should avoid? Anything you’d particularly like tonight?”
“I take a potion.” It came out of her in a bit of a blurt. “Da taught me how to make it. You needn’t, um.” Then she was blinking at him. “I’d like to see the ways you’re strong. The ways you think about doing this. Feel them. Can we do that?”
Griffin bent to kiss her, the sort of kiss that was gentle nips, then his tongue. He let go of her hand so he could use his better, while getting himself settled so his whole body pressed against her side. She could feel him, he was sure, that the idea of this was certainly arousing. He kept up with that for several minutes, letting his hips rock against hers, before finally she rolled onto her side, again, to get her hand down between them.
Between the kisses - now he was nuzzling more at her neck and the scent of her hair - she got her hand on him. “Do you like me touching you?”
“Oh, yes.” It came out as a bit of a grunt. Her fingers closed around him, slipping through his pyjamas just as he started speaking. Her hands were strong as well as skilled. He should have expected that, given all she’d trained them to do. He couldn’t think of anything else but the touch for a good dozen breaths. When he could think again, all he wanted to do was get his hands up under her nightgown, fingers touching and stroking. He began with it, then she realised what he was doing, and rolled onto her back, letting him concentrate on that. He pushed his clothes aside and off, glad of his ability to balance on one arm as needed.
Griffin had not forgotten these specific skills, but it was easier with her than he remembered. Annice didn’t hide her reactions from him; she didn’t cloak them in what was acceptable. She let him see the truth of what she was feeling, and that was perhaps the best compliment he knew. Even when, as he did once, he went a little fast, from two fingers to three, stroking inside her before she was entirely ready.
He took longer at the rest of it, before he pushed up on his right arm. “May I, then? Do you want that?”
Annice’s hand came up to rest on his shoulder. She’d lost track of words, he thought, but she nodded, firmly. Then her other hand came up to his hip, nudging him in the right direction. It was only moments later that he was bracing on his arms, reaching to find the right place, and then pushing into her.
The first stroke or three were not simple. She was right that it had been a long time for her. Then she rocked her hips a little, and he found a better angle. Griffin wanted to take his time, but found all too soon that he couldn’t. All he could manage was holding back enough to bring her along with him, most of the way. His own need boiled out of him before she quite found her own pleasure. As soon as he could breathe again, before he slipped out of her, he got his fingers between them. He managed to bring her off with her own gasp.
Griffin had just enough conscious thought and grasp of his magic to mutter a cleaning charm before he burrowed in against her, soaking in her warmth and presence. And he slept very, very well indeed.
Chapter36
APRIL 18TH
“Tell me again why tonight?” Annice was walking alongside Griffin. It was ten at night. They were aiming for Griffin’s parish church.
