2 comments/ 5486 views/ 3 favorites Living a Romance Novel Ch. 01 By: alan55 Chapter 01 The voyage to the new world Author's note -- This is a work of pure fiction. There is no connection to any real people or places. Any resemblance to real life people, events, or someone else's writings is coincidental. It is for entertainment only and is not to be reproduced without written consent. This, and the chapters that follow, were inspired by a reader. **************************** Ileeana Johnson was somewhat of a romantic. Ever since childhood, she had been an avid reader. The kind of books she most loved were the mushy romance novels where the heroin was passionately swept off her feet by some handsome hunk. Some of her favorites were stories with settings in the 1500's thru the 1800's. It was a simpler time, before most of the Industrial Age had gotten into full swing; a time of knights & chivalry, romantic sea adventures, and pre-Civil War southern hospitality. At age 26 she had met a man she thought fulfilled all her romantic dreams, only to find out he was already married. After the devastating realization of what a cad he was, she retreated back into a fantasy world of her books. Now at age 30, the pretty but shy Ileeana found her self half in a fantasy world daze at her job at the power plant, where she had worked since 1985. Most of her co-workers were married men in their 50's, giving her little opportunity to strike-up a relationship with someone her own age. Her job was an important one, monitoring the control room gauges once every hour, but left her with a lot of time on her hands between the hourly gauges check. To pass the time, she brought some of her romance novels to read. Sometimes her mind would wander, envisioning herself as one of the characters in the book, stunningly dressed, and attracting all the males within eyesight. While she had a very beautiful body, the baggy jumpsuit uniform she had to wear at work did little to accentuate the beauty that lay underneath. When she finished her work shift each day, she would usually go straight home and bury herself in the latest romance novel until it was time to go to sleep. So it went, night after night, curled up in a chair or propped up in her bed, her eyes would trace the words on the pages, her mind lost in the fantasy. Her latest acquisition was a novel about a woman of similar age as Ileeana. The time and place for the beginning of the novel is 1859 in England. In preparation for her evening read, Ileeana had dressed in a shear nightgown and was sitting in bed with the pillows propped up. To get into character even more, she wore a cameo necklace she had found in an antique store. Ileeana didn't normally wear much for jewelry but she seemed drawn to the cameo and bought it without much thought for the price. Besides, it was a perfect fit for the mid-1800's heroin in the romance novel she'd just started reading. As Ileeana lay back against the pillows, the words of the second chapter began to float from the pages. Two and a half years ago, a few of Leeann's friends had invited her to a party hosted by some business associates. She had reluctantly agreed to go, knowing that it probably would be boring as hell, with all the men off together discussing business and all the women talking about the latest gossip. She felt so out-of-place just wandering around, and ended up at the table where punch was being served. Not only was she a bit thirsty but maybe with a glass of punch in her hand, she wouldn't feel so awkward with her hands at her side. She had the glass in hand, took a sip and turned around, with the glass still to her lips. Inches away from her, was a handsome man that just couldn't seem to take his eyes off her. By the same token, she couldn't seem to take her eyes off his. It seemed like forever before either one of them spoke. The first to speak was the handsome gentleman, who offered to take her for a breath of fresh air in the garden in the back of the house. In the middle of a fragrant garden, neither seemed to notice the growing things around them. This young gentleman was so easy to talk to. He was well educated, with his feet firmly planted on the ground, so to speak. At the end of the party, she allowed him to escort her home. With a kiss on her hand at the doorstep, he wished her pleasant dreams, and watched her reluctantly enter and close the door behind her. That evening, she slept so well, finally waking to find she had her arms wrapped around her pillow as if it were a lover with her in her bed. Hearing a knock at her door, she slipped on a robe and opened the door a crack. There at the door stood a delivery boy with a long box, encircled with a ribbon. Barely giving the delivery boy much attention, she took the box from him and closed the door. When she opened the box, her senses were filled with the sight and smell of a dozen roses. A small card explained that her gentleman friend from the previous night was sending her a reminder of the wonderful time they had spent in the rose garden the night before. This gesture of appreciation seemed so 'forward', but she knew from their talks the previous night, her gentleman friend was one who knew what he wanted in life and didn't waste time beating around the bush. Over the next 2 months, the flower deliveries became frequent and it wasn't long before she relented and said YES to his proposal. In another 4 months, they were married. This was the happiest she had ever been in her life . . . and then it happened. Leeann Ravenwood's world had come crashing down upon her. The happiness of 2 years of marriage to her husband had been wonderful. Her husband's small shipping business to the Americas was beginning to gain financial ground, despite the growing tensions across the sea in the States. Her husband had caught an infection and died within 3 days. Her life-long companion was with her no more and she was devastated. While her education level was such that she could comprehend some of her husband's business, she was ill equipped to handle it herself. She would have to let her husband's brother, and business partner, take over. Leeann's husband and brother had come up with a very shrewd business arrangement. One brother would take care of operations in London and the other in Savanna, Georgia. Now the surviving brother, Henry, would have to coordinate things on both sides of the Atlantic. Henry, knowing that times would be hard for a young widow in late 1850's England, suggested Leeann come to the Americas to help him run the shipping business and start a new life. Knowing that her late husband's brother's words of advice were sound, she agreed to travel to Savanna on the next passage. With the convincing all done, a passage was booked on a 2-masted sloop, captained by John Rutherford. His ship would be leaving with the morning tide. Ileeana's eyes were starting to get heavy. It was approaching midnight and sleep was creeping up on her, but the book was too good to put down. As the hallway clock struck midnight, Ileeana's cameo started to shimmer and mildly warm. "Just a few more pages", she thought, as her eyes became heavier. Ileeana awoke to the feel of her bed gently swaying. At first, she thought it an earthquake but realized it was too gentle for that. Her surroundings were not that of her small bedroom. The flat plastered walls were now of wooden beams and panels; almost Spartan. A full-length robe hung from a hook on a small wooden door. Using it to cover her thin nightgown, she gingerly opened the door. Upon opening the door, she found herself in a narrow passageway that led to a set of sparse wooden steps going up to somewhere. As one foot, then another cautiously tested each step, her other senses started to kick in. There was the smell of damp wood, but also the scent of clean fresh air with a hint of salt in it. Cautiously, she opened the doors at the top of the stairs and was almost blinded by the sunlight that streamed in. Before her, lay a vision of the deck of a ship, its two masts sticking straight up from the deck. There were curiously dressed men, going about their duties of adjusting ropes and sails. When she heard a voice call out "Good morning Mrs. Ravenwood, I trust you are well today", it was not due to recognition of the name that caused her to turn to see from whence the voice came. It was the name; "Where had she heard that name before?" Her thought train was interrupted again, as the tall, stout figure of a man, called to her again. "Why don't you join me on the quarter deck? The view is much better from here." Still in a daze, her feet seemed to carry her to the ship's wheel all by themselves, until she was standing next to what she presumed to be the captain of the ship. Sensing her confusion, Captain Rutherford asked her if she felt all right this morning, to which Ileeana meekly nodded. From the first moment Mrs. Ravenwood had stepped on board, the Captain had envisioned how any English seaman would have given his right arm to have a bare breasted likeness of this long haired, well endowed woman on the prow of his ship, with sparkling blue eyes gazing out at the horizon. "Good then", Captain Rutherford replied, "You'll be happy to know that we've been making good time and you should be seeing your husband's brother in Savanna within 6 days." "Seeing as how you will be at the helm of the shipping company in the Americas, why don't you see how it feels to take the helm of one of the ships you will have at your command, so to speak?" With measured steps she approached the ship's wheel. With her fingers win reach of the wheel, Captain Rutherford gently took her hand and lead Leeann closer to the large carved, wooden wheel of the helm, placing her hands on two of the eight wooden pegs that protruded from its circumference. As soon as her hands touched the spokes, the feel of the ship took hold of her. Moving in behind her, Leeann felt the masculine presence of his 5'10" frame at her back, as he hands reached around to cover each of hers, taking some of the wheel's pressure from her delicate hands. At first Leeann felt apprehensive, then exhilarated, at the thought of being in control of the ship's course. With coaching from the Captain, her hands firmly gripped the 7-inch wooden pegs of the ship's wheel as if she were making love to them. In fact, the shape and hardness of the wheel's pegs reminded her of the intimate times with her husband, when she would handle his manhood in foreplay before his hard shaft would enter her and give her exquisite pleasure. It was the most exhilarating feeling she'd had for a long time; the power of the wind driving the ship forward as her waist length glossy black tresses were caught in the wind, like the thin branches of a willow in a moderate breeze. Leeann was so caught up in her own thoughts, she failed to conscientiously notice the warmth of the Captain's body pressed into her back. It was the hardness of his loins pressing into her, that further brought back memories and un- conscientiously triggered her thoughts of intimacy. After a time, it was with great reluctance that she gave the wheel over to the helmsman, Captain Rutherford suggesting she go below to change and come back up on deck for breakfast. For the next 5 days, the weather held fair and Captain Rutherford allowed her a turn at the wheel for as long as she liked, as his strong hands guided hers in holding its course, his body steadied hers with the rise and fall of deck. Each time her hands took hold of the handles of the wheel, her thoughts were filled with erotic images of the intimate times with her husband, playing the handles as if she were making love to them, preparing them for his and her ultimate pleasure. The Captain had a loyal crew, and they were pleased to see him so happy. It had been a year since he had lost his bride-to-be in a freak accident just 2 days before the wedding. For as much as the Captain loved the sea, he had loved her even more. To see the Captain's eyes light up at the sight of such a beautiful woman, if only for a few days, bode well for a happy voyage. With each passing day, the crew sensed the Captain was forming a special bond with his female passenger. The loneliness and heartache that have been obvious for the past year, seemed to have all been forgotten. At one day out from Savanna, the ship was on its last leg of the journey. With the ship was so close to Savanna, the lookouts had seen more than one set of sails on the horizon. It was with initial unconcern that another set of sails was on an intercept course with them. At a mile way, the shape of the ship and the set of its sails began to raise concern in the Captain and first mate. At 3,00 yards, Captain Rutherford began barking out orders in quick succession. "Hard a starboard, haul in on those lines, set the jib. Set as much canvas as the ship will carry. Secure all loose items on the deck." Having given the orders for the hands to scramble to their duties, the Captain was finally able to turn his attention to his passenger. "Mrs. Ravenwood, you better go below, I dare say that ship coming toward us is not paying us a social call. From what I can make out, it's a pirate ship and there will be much to do to stay out of her reach." He could tell the pirate ship was gaining on him and Captain Rutherford's best hope was to outwit the pirates. His strategy was to skirt a nearby squall in the hopes that he would cut it so close as to test the courage, or foolhardiness, of the pirate captain. His intent was to sail in front of the squall close enough to pick up additional wind, while at the same time let the pirates get caught in the fiercest of the winds, shouldthey be fool enough to follow, thereby causing them to have to drastically reduce sail. The squall's heavy rains could also be used to mask the ship's course change as he swung around the backside of the squall, and resume its original course to Savanna, while the pirate ship would have its hands full dealing with the tempest. At 800 yards distance, a puff of smoke gave advanced warning of a cannonball headed their way. The first shot from the 9-pounder fell wide a starboard as the Captain held steady. The second shot missed the port side by a mere 15 feet. Calculating the time to reload, the Captain spun the wheel to point the ship 4 points to starboard, more onto a reach, gaining extra speed and a different angle to which he had calculated would catch the gunner on the pirate ship off guard. The third shot went sailing through the rigging, only causing minor damage. The Captain ordered another course change to windward, to confound the gunner again. The fourth shot fell wide a starboard. The Captain knew then that his pursuer had caught an initial strong gust of wind from the squall and had made an unintended course change downwind. In process of his rounding the front of the squall, the Captain had caught enough of the squall to batter his own ship, straining the hull and rigging. At the start of the encounter, Leeann was going to follow the captain's advice of going below deck but the thought of being in such a confined space, in the face of a possible sinking, terrified her even more than weathering the storm on deck. So it was that Leeann ran to the Captain's side to hang on to his muscled body with all her strength, getting pummeled by the wind and cold rain. Within a matter of minutes, her clothes were totally soaked and she was shivering terribly, yet she hung on to him with only one thought in her mind; should they perish in the storm, it was him she wanted to spend her last seconds of life with. Having been a sailor almost all his life, Captain Rutherford was used to being soaked from head to toe and stood his ground at the wheel, steering his ship just close enough to the edge of the storm to cause the pirates to foolishly chase after. When he looked back, he could tell his pursuer would catch the worst of the squall and give him the advantage of escape. Having rounded the backside of the squall, Captain Rutherford could let his helmsman pilot the course for the safety of Savanna harbor. With the helm in capable hands, he could now tend to Leeann. Picking up her drenched, battered, and shivering body in his arms, he carried the exhausted Mrs. Ravenwood to the comfort of his own cabin. As he gazed at Leeann, she was shivering uncontrollably, he knew there was only one thing to do; he had to get her out of those wet clothes and warm her body fast. It was a question of either her modesty or her life; the Captain chose her life. Stripping her completely bare, he placed her on his bed and covered her with his thin blanket. See the removal of her wet clothes was not enough to stop her from shivering, he would have to resort to even more drastic measures to keep her from dying. Even though her wet clothes were no longer contributing to her hypothermia, he had to do more in order to prevent her from getting pneumonia. His only option was to use his own body warmth to stave off her shivering. Hoping that she would understand his reasoning in the final outcome, he stripped off ALL of his own wet clothes and climbed into the bed next to her, snuggling up close to her back to add the warmth of his own body to hers. It took a good 15 minutes before Leeann's shivering to stop and her body to begin to warm. By then the Captain's male instincts had started to come alive. The Captain's once flaccid member was quickly hardening, pressing into Leeann's backside. His hands wrapped around her chest, were keeping her chest warm and at the same time, causing her nipples to harden with excitement. After 4 days of feeling the Captain's body pressed into hers, Leeann's body was also starting to respond with desperate need. It was inevitable that she turned to face him, pressing her body tightly into his. With Leeann lifting one leg, his hot member soon pushed between her legs, warming the outer parts of her sex. The helmsman's course change, after rounding the squall, healed the ship to the other side, causing the Captain to roll on top of Leeann. Her long black tresses were spread across the bunk and her legs splayed in open acceptance for the Captain. As if he were using his sword on an opponent, it only took two good thrusts to bury his hard shaft into its intended target. As the ship plunged headlong into the oncoming waves, riding up, then plunging back into the sea, so did the Captain, pulling back then plunging deep. His strokes were measured, pounding hard in time with the bow into each wave. With each stroke, Leeann and the Captain came closer to the inevitable conclusion; the cabin's bed straining from the force without and within. With one final huge wave to plow through, the ship groaned and drove through the crest, sending a spray into a geyser that crashed across the body of the ship, just as another spray soaked the insides of one of the passengers. After such a tumultuous ending, the sea became calm and the final leagues to Savanna harbor brought peace and contentment to the crew and its passenger. Leeann fell into a blissful rest for the rest of the afternoon and evening. - - - - - - - - - Rousing to the sound of a ship's 6 bells, she lifted her naked body over the side of the bed. As her toes made their tentative probing of the surface just below them, her feet made contact with her soaked garments. The floor was solid, the gentle wave like rocking had ceased, and her still groggy hand silenced the tolling of the bells on the table beside her. As her eyes started to focus, she saw that the small box on the table beside the bed was counting numbers upwards in a continuous display of hours, minutes, and seconds. Her sweat soaked nightgown on the floor, and sheets on the bed, would need to be washed, but that was for later. What she needed now was a shower before heading off to work, to again get through another day of the monotony of taking readings from gauges every hour. As she headed for the shower, her bleary eyes failed to take note of the monogrammed officer's handkerchief lying on the floor, the initials J R prominently embroidered in gold thread. Living a Romance Novel Ch. 01 To be continued . . . . Living a Romance Novel Ch. 02 Author's note -- This is a work of pure fiction. There is no connection to any real people or places. Any resemblance to real life people, events, or someone else's writings is coincidental. It is for entertainment only and is not to be reproduced without written consent. **************************** Ileeana Johnson had taken to bringing some of her romance novels to work to ease the boredom of nothing to do between the 10 minutes every hour she was actually required to do something. Her new book involved the heroin making her way in the world in the pre-Civil War era of the Old South. The words on the page had seemed so real to her. The antique cameo she wore was the only necklaces concession her company allowed. She found when she wore it, it put her more in character with the novel she was currently reading. Opening the book to where she left off . . . Leeann Ravenwood's journey across the Atlantic had been mostly uneventful, until the final day of the voyage and the run-in with the pirates. Captain Rutherford let her sleep off the exhausting final hours into Savanna harbor. Only when the ship was about 30 minutes from docking did he wake her from her slumber. The droning machinery in the background left Ileeana's eyelids heavy, the constant cameo companion shimmering in the subdued light. "Mrs. Ravenwood, time to wake up. We are a few minutes from docking in Savanna." It was with sleepy regret that Ileeana raised her head from the Captain's bunk. On the chair beside the bed was a dress that Captain Rutherford had retrieved from her steamer trunk. Her storm soaked clothes had been picked up from the floor and had been hung to dry on a line topside. Slowly, the pantaloons, bustles, petticoats, and dress transformed her nude body into a well-to-do lady. A barrette at her neckline, transformed her waist-length, wavy black hair into a waterfall of soft semi-curls. As Leeann dressed and primped, she noticed the steamer trunk was labeled Mrs. Leeann Ravenwood. This was who she was, yet in the back of her mind, she was also known as Ileeana. After having given Leeann time to dress, Captain Rutherford knocked on the cabin door and informed her one of the deck hands would take her belongings to a waiting carriage. She was grateful for Captain Rutherford's kind hospitality during the long voyage, giving him a passionate kiss before reluctantly climbing the stairs to the main deck, and disembarking. As the carriage pulled out, she couldn't help take a longing last look at the Captain, standing on the deck, watching her vanish down a cobbled street. It was at least a half-mile to the brother's house where she would be staying until she found her own living arrangements. The horse's hooves on the cobbled stones, echoed noisily off the stone and wood walls of the businesses and ramshackle houses all along the way. As the carriage plodded along, Leeann's thoughts shifted back and forth from observing her surroundings to what life would be like in the immediate future. Arriving at Thorton's house, the carriage driver helped her out and motioned for a servant to come grab her luggage. Her brother lived well but not too well. The shipping business was still small but expanding. Thorton's wife, Amanda, set to the task of getting Leeann settled in and updated her on Savanna life as she prepared the meal. The following day dawned bright and shiny and there was much to do, filling Thorton in on affairs in London. Although Thorton had never met Leeann, his brother had described her to a "T", saying in one letter that she was "a long black haired busty woman with brains". While it was the former two attributes that had initially caught his brother's eye, it was the last that sealed the deal for marriage. For the time being, Leeann's duties would be to visit some of the local farms and plantations to confirm deliveries of cotton and other raw materials, a large part of the shipping business's income. Until Leeann got her bearings with making calls on suppliers, she would start out with short trips, ranging further as she became more familiar with the area. It was on the start of a heavy overcast day that Leeann set out in her carriage to visit a large plantation 20 miles south of Savanna. The weather was warm and Leeann had dressed modestly, without the usual multitude of stifling hot bustle and petticoats. With no sunlight to provide highlights and shadows, the landscape just seemed to be a dull gray. It was if all color had been wiped away and replace with a continuous gray. Animals large and small were hard to pick out among the trees and grasses. Her mind was only half on the task of guiding horses pulling the carriage, mulling over quantities and quality of the goods she would be discussing in a matter of hours, and admiring the beauty of the countryside. As she rounded a bend, cresting a small hill, the road in front of her was blocked by three men dressed in well-worn clothes. Leeann had a very bad feeling about her current situation. Her instincts told her she should spur the horse to greater speed, causing the three men to jump out of the way and let her pass, least they be trampled. Her breeding overrode her instincts and she slowed so as to give them time to move out of the way. To cause injury to any of the three might lead to dire consequences for Leeann. To her dismay, the three men didn't move out of the way. Instead, one of them threw up his hands in front of her horse, causing it to come up short. As soon as the horse stopped, the center man grabbed the reins and steadied it where it stopped. As soon as the horse showed no sign of advancing, the other two men advanced on the carriage on each side begging for a few coins to buy food. With an uneasiness brewing between the northern states and the southern states, businesses were not doing as profitable as they once were, throwing a number of men out of work. Some of these jobless men were now walking the byways, heading west and begging for food and shelter along the way. It was just such rabble that Leeann ran into on her journey to one of the farms. Most of the time, handing out a small sum would appease the beggars and they would let you be on your way. Thinking a few coins would placate the men and impede her travels no more, she bent down to reach her purse. In doing so, the man on the right side of the carriage got a real good look at Leeann's ample cleavage. When she looked back up, the wicked grin on his face caused her to swallow hard. It was obvious she had given him more than what he'd been asking for. "Would you looky here, I think we hit the jackpot. This pretty lady not only has money to give, but a few other assets as well." as he eyed her from head to toe. The thought that these three men would be wanting more from her than a few coins, began to cross her mind. Before she could formulate a plan to flee, the first man grabbed her arm and began to pull her from the carriage. The man on the left side, climbed across the seat of the carriage and help push her out of her seat.. Leeann's struggle to break the man's grip only alerted the second man to grab her other arm, holding her fast from escaping. The third man now approached her and began to give her a good visual examination as well. Reaching for the small purse at her waist, he grabbed it and shook it, listening for how well the coins inside jingled. The weight of the purse and the sound it made when shook, told him there was plenty to go around for the three of them. "Take her up onto that grassy area over there and we'll see what else she has to offer." At 5'2", her assailants had at least another half a foot in height on her and her struggles were no match for their strength. From the time she was picked up from the roadway, to the time the three men reached the grassy area, her feet never felt solid earth. The third man's rough hands brushed the shoulders of her dress down over her arms, causing Leeann to squirm in the grip of the other two men. Her first assailant then took hold of each side of the top of her dress and yanked violently down, ripping the fabric almost to the waist. All three men grinned ear-to-ear as her two perfect globes of smooth flesh spilled out into the open air. Thinking she had a chance if she could cause painful indignities, she tried a swift kick the groin of the man in front of her but it was deflected. Almost as quickly, a flash of sharp, cold steel was inches from her face. Her eyes grew wide with fear and her mouth became as dry as a cotton ball. Her eyes fluttered then closed, unable to witness what was about to happen to her. She felt a tug on her dress at the waist and the sound of material parting. She could only surmise that her dress was being laid open by the blade of the knife. When she was dragged off her feet and laid on her back, she still refused to open her eyes, hoping it was all a bad dream. The cool breeze between her legs signaled she was no longer wearing her pantaloons and that her legs had been spread wide apart. It could only mean one thing; her body was to be used by the men for who knows how long and in what ways. It was hopeless to reason with them and she felt the only way to get through the ordeal and keep her sanity was to completely close her mind to what was happening to her. As rough lips sucked her nipples and rough fingers stroked her slit, she knew she had to let herself get partially aroused in order for her sex to create enough lubrication to avoid having her insides rubbed raw. Feeling the weight of one of the men covering her and a hard, warm shaft of flesh at the entrance to her sex, she braced herself. All hope that she could persuade her attackers to stop, faded when she felt his member push all the way into her, his hairy balls making contact with the bottom of her slit. Leeann was at the mercy of the three, as the first man drove his hard member into her sex repeatedly, as the other two were mauling her breasts and nipping at her nipples with their teeth. From the way they talked, it was going to be a long afternoon, leaving Leeann well used before it was all done. A withdrawal and a repeat of the impalement was cut short when she felt the full weight of the first man's body collapse on top of her and go limp. She failed to notice the high-pitched 'pop' that preceeded his collapse. A warm trickle of liquid dripped onto her face. As she opened her eyes to see what was happening, she felt one of the men that had been sucking her breast, suddenly release his grip and grab at a shaft of metal sticking into his neck. A few seconds later, the third man was pulled free of her and sent tumbling. Having been pinned to the ground by the man collapsed on top of her, all that she could see were two bodies thrashing around on the ground a few feet away. A flash of steel came down on both and the thrashing stopped. Leeann felt the weight of her limp attacker rolled of her body. Too emotionally drained to care, Leeann felt her body being carried to her carriage. The opposite side of the carriage dipped and the carriage was thundering down the road. Still in a daze, she barely heard her savior tell her his name and explain that he just happened to be riding by when he saw her being attacked. She should not worry about her attackers making a second attempt, as he had put a bullet in to one's head, a knife into the throat of the second, and the third joined his cohorts demise, with a blade to the chest. With an air of expediency in the whip, the carriage's steed made good time to her rescuer's home. She again felt her body carried, but this time to an upstairs bedroom where she was placed on a soft bed. She felt the moist coolness of a wet cloth remove the dirty evidence of her recent ordeal from her skin, then have her body covered with a thin bedspread. Hours later, she would find the strength to alight from the bed and find a dress, of her approximate size, laid out for her on the chair. The house was mostly quiet when she ventured down the stairs. As she made her way down, the only sound she heard was occasional footsteps in the study. Peering around the doorway, she spotted the man who had saved her. His mind seemed preoccupied with something. When he did notice her, it was a look of concern that then changed to relief when he was able to tell she was up and moving about. "It appears you are feeling much better. Are you unharmed?" A nod from Leeann eased some of the tension and helped him be more at ease. As he tried filling her in on what had happened; how he had just happened along when she saw the three men attacking her. A single shot from his pistol dispatched the first man, his knife thrown at the second man eliminated him. The third man took more effort. It took much more effort to overpower him and dispatch him as well. As Jonathan spoke, Leeann seemed more intent on studying his features than listening to his words. From his looks, Leeann could tell that Jonathan was a man of good breeding. Dressed in white breeches and black waistcoat, he was an impeccable example of a gentleman; nearly six foot tall, black hair, brown eyes, and solid muscle all over. Taking her by the hand, he took her on a tour of the grounds, stopping at the stable to show off some of the fine mares in a small fenced in area. From his earlier conversation with her, he had learned her name. Now he used it to pose a question. "Would you like to take a ride around the grounds, to get a better idea of my plantation? I'm sure you will be most impressed with what you see. Besides, the ride will help you forget what you went through earlier." Since this gentleman had saved her life, Leeann felt obligated to at least accept his invitation. It took only a few moments to saddle two of his sleek mares. When both mounts were saddled, his strong hands lifted her onto the back of her horse. A quick swing of his legs and he was atop his own steed. A light touch of his heels and they were off on a brisk walk down one of the fence lines. Leeann was indeed impressed with Jonathan's accomplishments. She could tell there was much about his plantation that showed promise for the shipping company. As they made the rounds, her thoughts sometimes strayed, thinking what a fine specimen of a man that was riding next her. By the time they made it back to the barn, she was totally enamored with Jonathan. He had saved her life and had been such a gentleman. Dismounting, he gently lifted Leeann down from her horse, bringing her close to his body. Feeling no resistance from her, his arms drew her closer until her lips almost touched his. She knew it was not entirely proper for her to kiss him but she couldn't resist. As her lips touched his, it felt like electricity tingled her body and a fire in her breast. It was only a matter of moments until she had succumbed to him totally. Before she knew it, she was laying beside him on a pile of hay, his strong arms around her, taking her to heights of passion she had not known since the last day of the sea voyage. His lips played across her body, drinking in the softness of her bosom, lapping at the sensitive areas that formed the peak of her breasts. His gentle thrusts into her sex brought exquisite moans to her lips. When it came time, she wrapped her legs around him and shuddered with climatic excitement, finally to bask in the afterglow of her release, and the smell of fresh hay. Exhaustion and contentment allow her to drift off into a satisfied slumber. Her bliss was broken by what sounded like a light banging of the barn door, swaying in the wind. "Ileeana, snap out of it, its two o'clock, time for you and I to make our rounds to take readings." With that, Roger left the room, the heavy steel door banged on the doorframe on his way out. It was a repeat of the way he had made his entrance. A half awake Ileeana lifted her head from the table where she had been napping, and followed after Roger through the same door he had walked out of. As she opened the door to follow after him, a puff of air blew a few bits of straw from her hair, unnoticed, onto the floor. To be continued . . . .