Two years later

“Don’t run too far away!” Calum called out to his son, Henry, just after Kathy had sounded the gong for hide and seek.

Kathy was standing next to him, and she laughed, patting his arm. “You have grown soft in your old, fatherly age, Calum? Henry will be perfectly well on his own. Iris is with him. Iris adores that boy.”

Calum nodded, watching as his dark-haired young son waddled away with his pudgy hand in Iris’. “Yes, I suppose I have grown too parental. It’s rather difficult watching your young child do something you never thought they’d do. I suppose Annabelle and I always expected that he would remain a baby forever.”

“Ah, but what is the fun in that? If they are forever a baby, then you and your wife cannot have the alone time that you need, that comes with your children growing up. Speaking of your wife, you need to go and play the game. There is a prize for the winners!” She wandered off to go speak to Jeremy and Lady Daisy, who had become the new Duchess of Tidendale only a year before.

Calum found Annabelle speaking to her mother as they watched the goings-on. “Come, are we not also going to hide with the others? Henry is off with Iris. We can’t let Jeremy have it easy.”

“Right enough.” Giggling, she took his hand, and they raced off into the gardens.

It was a perfect spring day, and it was the second of Kathy’s spring parties that they’d attended since their marriage. A promise was a promise, after all.

“I know just where to go,” Calum said, pulling her back towards the far side of the house, through the overgrown shrubbery until they reached the secret door to the underground passages.

“Ah, I thought we weren’t children, Calum, as you are always reminding me each year I think to take us here,” Annabelle said in a sly voice, leading the way to the door which opened easily, despite the loud noise it made.

“Yes, well, acting young can sometimes be fun. So I’ve learned in my old age,” he said with a grin, and her laughter filled the dark passageway as they slipped inside.

“You are hardly old, Mr. Spencer, but I shouldn’t wish to compliment you too thoroughly. You know very well just how handsome you are and have even grown in handsomeness.”

“Is that so?” he asked, sliding up behind her to wrap an arm about her slim waist and pull her close. She shrieked in surprise, but her laughter settled as she leaned back against his shoulder.

In a soft, seductive voice that always brought his body to attention, she asked, “It seems there was an ulterior motive for you bringing me down here, dear husband.”

“And what would those motives be?” His hands began to move, sliding around her waist and over the swell of her breasts above her stays, making her gasp.

“To seduce me most ashamedly. When we are meant to be playing a game.” She wiggled out of his touch and raced into the dimly lit secret room, which once had been a place of play, the first place they’d made love two years before.

“We are playing a game,” Calum said, leaning against the doorframe, eyeing his lovely wife with unashamed lust. “We are keeping ourselves from being found by Jeremy, who is most annoying when he wins. He could never find these passages than when we were children, and he will never find them now, even if we use them as hiding places every year. So,” he added, walking forward while a smirking Annabelle backed up against the wall, “I say we use our time wisely. We will wait a lifetime for him to find us, so we will need to eventually make ourselves known when the time is right.”

He leaned down at the place where her neck met her shoulder and breathed in her lovely floral scent, which always reminded him of a lovely spring day.

“I suppose that makes sense,” Annabelle replied breathlessly.

He always knew just what to do to take her breath away, and when he dipped his tongue into the depression of her clavicle, she shivered. As he expected, her hands moved to wrap around his neck, and he leaned back to look down at her.

It had only been two years since their marriage, but at the same time, he felt like it had been a wonderful, blissful lifetime. He had everything he ever wanted, and even though his business had flourished in the last two years, that meant nothing compared to the woman in front of him.

Annabelle had grown in both beauty and confidence since their marriage. It was like the light that had been inside of her but hidden away was now free to shine as brightly as it wanted. She was bold, opinionated, strong, passionate, and she didn’t care any longer what people thought. She made friends so easily because all were drawn to her light. When his hand touched her cheek, he said, “You are the love of my life, Annabelle. I want nothing more than to be with you forever and ever.”

“That is a good thing,” she teased. “For you already promised it.”

“Minx,” he replied, kissing her to stifle her laughter. She kissed him back, drawing him closer with her hands and pressing her lovely breasts against his chest. A low groan sounded in his throat as she sucked on his lower lip, only proving just how much of a minx she was.

She laughed as he leaned down to lift up her skirts. “You will be the end of me, Annabelle. I cannot contain myself when I am with you.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want you to.” She reached out to fumble with his breeches, but he handed her skirts, and he unbuttoned himself, freeing his rigid length.

“I had this thought,” he said as he leaned down to kiss her. He pushed his length along her center, eliciting a moan as he teased her. “While Henry’s lovely, and we love him dearly, I think it’s time we begin to start on making another child. What do you say?”

Annabelle said nothing but smiled and lifted a leg to wrap around his waist.

***

There was something about life with Calum that made Annabelle feel bold and beautiful like nothing could stop her. She wrapped one leg around his waist, and grinning, he lifted up the other. He pushed her against the wall, and once he was centered over her entrance, he pushed into her, bringing another loud moan from her lips.

His hands gripped her buttocks as he moved in and out of her. They had done this so many times and yet each time felt new and fresh, as if she was discovering some unexplored part of him. Her legs tightened around his waist, drawing him even deeper, making a rough sound of desire escape him.

She pulled him to her, kissing him as he thrust even deeper into her. This was the very spot where they had made love for the first time, but now, there was no cold, harsh reality on the other side of that door.

“So beautiful,” he whispered in her ear. “I love you, Annabelle.”

“And I you,” she said, as he dipped his head to kiss and nip at her neck. Her fingertips trailed through his dark, tousled hair as she tried to keep her pleasure from bursting into climax too soon. But she couldn’t stop it. His steady, persistent rhythm sent her over the edge. She let out a cry, leaning her head back against the cold stone wall as Calum continued to plunge into her without ceasing.

Her trembling limbs struggled to hold onto him, but he held tightly to her as he came to his own pleasure, spilling inside her as she shook. Slowly, he set her down, and her skirts fell back around her legs again. She gripped the wall, trying to catch her balance. Her other hand went to her forehead, and Calum laughed.

“Have I set you off-kilter, my love?” He was grinning all the while he buttoned up his breeches.

“That was exactly your hope, was it not?” she said, her mouth turning up at the corners.

“It most certainly was. Now we have passed the time rather pleasantly, I say,” Calum answered.

Annabelle rolled her eyes at Calum’s smug face, but she also loved it. Even though she knew that he loved her more than anyone else, she still had loved him first, had wanted him first, and so she knew he always felt a little smug about that. He knew just what to do with a kiss when he wanted her to melt and beg for him to make love to her. She thought it would fade over time, but it only got stronger each day they were married.

“So we have, Calum, and so we should probably go above in order to see how Henry has fared in the game, and if Jeremy and Daisy are at odds again about who found the most people.”

She turned to go, but Calum stopped her, leaning against her again, his hands on either side of her head.

“Why would you like to rush off, my love? There is still plenty of time.” He leaned down to kiss her, and even though she’d just climaxed in a perfect frenzy of pleasure, her body wanted him again.

Pulling away, she looked down at his breeches. “What do you mean? There will not be time for that again.”

“No, but there is still plenty more that can be done.” He lifted her skirts again, and she closed her eyes when he felt his strong hands on her legs, moving slowly upward.

Just his touch made her desire for him grow, and she felt love, wanted, and safe when his hands were on her. He knew just how to use them as well, moving tantalizingly slowly, looking up at her as he made his way up her gown. She breathed out in frustration, making him laugh.

“You are teasing me on purpose,” she said, biting her lip at the way she ached for him.

“Of course, my love. As I said, we have the time. And I do love to tease you when I have the opportunity to.”

She shook her head and then gasped when she felt his mouth between her thighs.

Her center was aching and throbbing from just having been gloriously filled by him, but it was soothed by the gentle touches of his lips and tongue. Unable to say anything else, she leaned back against the wall, and he pulled one of her legs to rest over his shoulder. Unconsciously, she began to move her hips against the movement of his mouth, and she heard a guttural tone of need from inside him.

Her need grew and grew until it burst again, sending sparks of light behind her eyes as she grabbed his head, pressing it against her while she trembled. She pushed him away a little when her center grew too sensitive for his touch. When he stood again, his expression was smug once more.

“Now, we can go,” he said, offering her his arm while Annabelle still tried to right herself.

When she regained her balance, having floated back to earth, they made their way out of the passage.

“That way will not get me with child, you know,” she said as they walked out into the light of the afternoon.

“Of course, I know that, but it gives you pleasure. I do not make love to you or give you pleasure for the sake of children, my dear. I give it to you for your sake because I am hardly in your company for a few minutes at a time without wanting to hear you cry out my name as loudly and beautifully as you did just down there.”

Annabelle giggled and shushed him as they were soon to be joined by others. Calum slid a firm, strong arm about her waist as they joined the others to find out the winners of the game. When they walked up, little Henry spied them and rushed toward them, Iris smiling after him. Annabelle nodded at her old friend, who had become so much to her in the last two years. Iris herself had also gotten married, but she still stayed in their employ, having risen to head housekeeper. But Henry was her special charge. Not even the nurse saw him as much as Iris.

“Papa!” Henry cried when he got closer, and Calum leaned down to pick him up and swing him around.

“How did you fare, little man?” he asked, and Henry giggled when his father tickled him.

Annabelle leaned her head against his arm, drinking in the blissful scene before her. This was heaven.

Her daze of happiness was interrupted by the angry sound of her brother calling across the crowd, saying, “And yet again, Mr. and Mrs. Spencer are the winners. We can never find them!” Daisy laughed and pulled on his arm to stop him from being such a menace.

Annabelle turned to catch Calum’s eye, and they both burst into laughter. “I suppose it is a good spot to hide after all,” she said softly. “For myriad reasons.”

“Shall I name them aloud for all to hear?” Calum asked as they walked forward to receive their prize.

“Do not!” Annabelle replied, nudging him into submission.

“Then promise me we will go there next year and the next. I rather enjoy the special place.” He put Henry down to run off towards Jeremy.

“Yes, Calum. For that and for so many other things, I promise. Besides, we can’t have Jeremy thinking he’s getting good at hide and seek, now can we?”

Grinning, Calum shook Jeremy’s hand and accepted his prize. “No, my dear, we most certainly cannot.”

The End

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