Page 20 of Alessandra (Chisholm Manor #1)

Over the following week, the two young lovers were kept busy with assignments given to them by Edward's mother and father.

Every evening, they fell into bed with each other, exhausted from the day's events but still eager to please and be pleased.

On the Sunday after church service, Edward informed his father that he would spend the rest of the day with his wife, and he and Alessandra made their way up to the summit.

The weather had been too cold for such activity, but it was a rare winter day when the sun was out and it was fairly warm.

They seized the moment and took the horses up.

It was the first time they had been up there since their wedding. Sitting down on the blankets, they held each other while looking out over the land around them. As they kissed again, Alessandra felt the same longing as she always did.

"Edward," she seemed to breathe out.

"Touch me. Please."

Edward looked at her, surprised, knowing they were in the open, but was overcome with arousal also, and did know there was never anyone else up on the summit to see.

He discretely placed his hand on her calf, and ran his hand up her leg, inside her skirt, until he could feel where she liked to be touched.

"Yes," she whispered.

Edward watched her face as she was taken away into the world of pleasure.

It lasted only a few minutes before it was over for her, breathing heavily as she recovered.

She looked at him, her eyes deep with passion.

"And you?" she asked him but he held her hand and kissed it.

"Later my love," he said, wanting more than anything to be touched by her, but knowing he couldn't be pleasured quite as discretely as she could.

He decided to put that thought behind them.

"Tonight, when we are in the privacy of our room."

After she kissed him again in response, they ended up lying down with him on top of her.

It felt natural for Edward to be positioned so that her legs were spread and he was lying between them.

Even with all of the clothing they both had on, it felt thrilling.

Alessandra felt like she couldn't get enough of him.

She knew they both had so much work they should be doing, all day every day, but what she wanted to do more than anything else was just be with her husband.

They stopped kissing and lay unmoving, looking at each other.

"I do love you, Alessandra," Edward said, his face full of emotion.

She looked at him, acknowledging that he had no traditional handsomeness on his face, but yet was still a man who she regarded as truly beautiful.

"And I love you, Edward."

As they began to feel cold, Edward stood and helped her up.

"My beautiful wife, we must return home and get in front of the fire.

It is getting too cold to be out here," he said, kissing her again and feeling her respond with the passion that she seemed to have an unending supply of.

He laughed and pushed her away from him.

"Later!" he exclaimed.

Alessandra laughed at him before they mounted the horses and made their way back home.