Fruit felt cool against his lips. That was in marked contrast to the warmth of the fingers that held it, which were so warm that at first he was alarmed. Then he realized why. It was Ainea. She was warm, in that way that a woman is when she is with the man she loves, in a situation that entices her. A sudden flush of warmth suffused Paul as well. Yet he knew that he must not take any advantage of her. Not in even the smallest way. He took her hand after taking the piece of fruit from it, and led her to one of the little benches.
His fingers picked one of the grapes from the vine and he returned the gentle favor to her, his own body's heat telling her how strong was his desire for her. Yet he made no move to entice her further. Suddenly, tension seemed to flow out of Ainea. She trusted him implicitly, and that defused the situation. After they exchanged several of the tart little globes, Paul gently took the remainder from her hand and set them aside.
Turning her with a soft touch to face away from him, he began to massage her neck and shoulders. He recalled that this was something that Lady Christina had said she enjoyed having Sir Kent do for her, and that it made her feel loved and cared for. he was not sure how this might develop, but he thought it worth a try as an alternative to hugs and kisses, which under the circumstances seemed to be much too intimate in the present circumstance.
At first, there were little ridges in the muscles of her neck, but as he continued to softly work on them with his thumbs, they gradually relaxed. As soon as those were pliable, Paul moved down to the upper part of her shoulders. While she had put on clothing, she had not put back on the corset that she normally would wear in public. However, the material of her shift was fairly heavy, so it was chaste enough while still allowing him to get at her shoulders and upper arms when she decided to loosen the upper ties.
Her faith in him and her utter trust astounded him. What had he ever done for her, or for that matter for anyone, that should entice this maiden to put her whole self and being in his hands? How could she just do that? Yet his answer was right there before him. He could do that with her. God knew, he could no imagine himself with any other woman, not any more. None could hold any kind of serious interest for him. Not even one so lovely and innocent as the lithe and fascinating little Essa. Not even the magnetic and charming Lady Sarah. His attention was all right where it should be, on this lovely creation that now sat before him and murmured soft sighs of contentment as her body relaxed in his care.
He kept it light and gentle, still making sure that as he worked on her that each muscle received enough work to cause it to relax. At last she was so, and his hands fell away. He bent and buried his face in her mop of glorious hair, not caring in the least that it might seem to her to be disheveled. The scent was heady and exhilarating. Then he gently and briefly kissed the top of her head before he straightened.
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