Adelaide's Adventure

Excerpt

Mr. Winters extended his hand to the woman boarding the Concord. He was eager to catch a glimpse of her features, but her head hung low, her face hidden from view. Instead, he could only gaze upon the crown of her silk bonnet. With ease, he reached for the travel bag she held and removed the burden from her grasp. He then watched as her white-gloved hand slid neatly into his.

As a hunter eyes its prey, he hungrily observed each movement of the tender flesh traced beneath her feminine finery. Her tiny foot, encased in a dainty boot bound round her ankle by shiny black buttons, stepped upward into his lair. The subtle scent of jasmine, her only chaperone, accompanied her into the small enclosure. He briefly closed his eyes, intoxicated by the fragrant bouquet. It was his favorite.

She sat still as a porcelain doll. Her head faced the window and afforded him the opportunity to study her unobserved. He noted her proud carriage and the way she sat upright while gazing into the distance. The brim and veil of her bonnet partially concealed her face, but not enough to secret her profile. He catalogued the patrician features, the finely formed cheekbones, and the gauzy outline of a small pert nose that peeked out from beneath the sheer covering. An exemplary example of the weaker sex, he thought. She appeared prim and proper on the outside, and he wondered what it would be like to feel her move beneath him. His interest piqued, he thought to engage her in conversation.

"How do you do?" His member stirred as both he and it awaited a response to his greeting.

As if awakened from a deep slumber, she turned slowly toward him and tilted her head, as though she had just heard him. A stealthy breeze raced into the carriage as her gaze met his. The feline tilt of her eyes startled him, but not nearly as much as their striking shade of green. Ah, how the emerald jewels sparkled! She immediately enchanted and bewitched him. She nodded dismissively and returned to her former pose.

A witch, he thought, to transfix him in this manner! Wild beneath the staid exterior, she remained aloof and still as the air on a hot summer's night. He conjured up an image of her as leopardess, about to spring into action. Yes, she would jump into his arms and onto his rising hardness. He stroked the coarse darkness of his neatly trimmed beard and ran his tongue across his lips.

He hoped the fleeting glance in his direction provided her the opportunity to take in the fine features of the well-dressed man who sat across from her. Large and imposing, he knew he cut an impressive figure. The gold chain of his watch fob glittered in the sunlight that filtered through the tiny window of the carriage. It afforded the singular view of the stark landscape outside the carriage. He knew she felt his eyes upon her and noticed her cheeks color beneath his penetrating gaze.

The driver loaded the travelers' bags into the overhead compartment. The sound of boots crunching gravel filled the inside of the cradle as he inspected the running gear and harnesses. The woman started when he kicked the wheel closest to her to insure its readiness for the trip.

"A fine example of a stagecoach, is it not? The finest model yet," he said, again hoping to engage her in conversation.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. The side of his mustache twitched upward as his lips rose into a smile. He winked a brown eye and laughed. Untying the ribbon that secured her bonnet, she set it beside her then briefly cast her emerald eyes in his direction.

"I don't bite, my dear."

"Perhaps I do," she said, under her breath.

Her eyes surveyed the interior of the coach and followed the embroidered pattern stitched into its walls. Her gloved hand caressed the buttery softness of the leather-covered seats.

"I beg your pardon," he said. "I did not hear you." In fact, he had heard her. Her velvet voice floated over his skin and slipped beneath his clothing. A veritable wildcat, he thought. What she needs is to be put over the knee of a good gentleman and spanked until she was contrite.

"I said nothing, sir. I prefer to keep my thoughts to myself."

"I prefer to share mine." He pulled his watch from his pocket and registered the time. "The coach will depart in less than five minutes. How delightful it would be if we were the only passengers. Plenty of legroom for what could be a long and tedious journey. It does not have to be so," he said.

The woman reached into her bag and withdrew a book.

"It matters not to me. For my part, I have reading to attend to."

"I think you are merely shy, miss. I assure you that you have nothing to fear from me. We've at least a fifteen-hour ride ahead. It is my hope we'll end this journey as friends."

She opened her book and followed the words on the page. Another errant breeze entered to rustle its pages. She gently smoothed them back into place and continued to read.

The day would remain mild while the sun continued to shine. Upon nightfall, the air would chill. He looked forward to the refreshing coolness of the early spring evening, so unlike those of the harsh winter recently passed. Such a breeze enflamed his passionate nature and made his heart pump faster. It elicited a sharp and unrestrained hunger that could only be alleviated by satisfying his intense desire to conquer and possess this woman.