heading in another direction. Murie had thought that on Balan's return she might ask him what the women were doing, and if he might like her to do it to him, but now, faced with the prospect, she was not sure she had the courage. Though, it would certainly be a distraction to make him forget he wished her back in bed recuperating.
"Wife." Balan came to a halt directly in front of where she knelt. He was still scowling, and she almost scowled herself, but managed a smile instead.
"Good afternoon, husband," she greeted. "'Tis a lovely day for a ride. Are you on a chore?"
"Aye. Looking for you," he announced with irritation, propping his hands on his hips. "You should be in your bed."
"Bed is boring, husband," she said quietly. Then she added in a husky voice, "At least it is when you are not there." That seemed to make him pause. He closed his mouth on whatever else he'd intended to say, his gaze flickering over where she knelt. Some of the anger slid from his expression. "Aye, well, that's as may be, but. .."
"Husband?" Murie murmured when his voice trailed away. His eyes had caught on the neckline of her gown. Their positions gave him a lovely view down her top, she noted, glancing down, but the realization did not make her stand up. Instead, she reached out a hand to his upper leg as if to steady herself. The muscle under her fingers tensed.
"Aye?" he asked. His gaze slid over her once more. For some reason her position seemed to fascinate Balan, and Murie wondered if it was suggesting certain activities to him. Like those activities she'd glimpsed at court.
She slid her hand tentatively up his legging until it disappeared under his doublet, and said, "I was wondering..."
"Aye?" he growled, but did not push her hand away. Murie moved it to the left until she felt his sex pressing against the gathered leather of his leggings. He was already semi-hard, but at her touch seemed to harden further, and she saw as well as heard him suck in a sharp breath.
"I was wondering if you would enjoy me doing the things to you that you do to me with your mouth," she whispered. His eyes went wide, and his mouth opened and worked briefly with nothing coming out as she ran her hand slowly along the length of him through the bunched cloth. Taking that as a yes, Murie pushed up his doublet with her other hand. She found where the cloth of his leggings was gathered together, which she parted to allow him to spring free. The moment he did, Murie caught him in her hand. She stilled as her husband groaned. Glancing up, afraid she'd done something to hurt him - indeed, his eyes were closed, his face tight with what might have been pain, but it was also the expression he got when making love to her - she then ran her fingers gently over him, relaxing a bit when his hips bucked in response. She leaned forward to press a kiss to the tip, but curiosity got the better of her, and she ran her tongue up his length tasting him.
Balan's reaction was most encouraging, she decided, when he clasped his hands in her hair and groaned again. Recalling that the maids had seemed to suckle at the shaft, Murie held the base to keep him still and took him into her mouth, running her lips up as far as she could and then drawing away again. She hadn't a clue what she was doing and was judging her success or failure by his reactions, but as far as she could tell from the groans and moans issuing above her head, he seemed to be enjoying it; so she was quite startled when he suddenly pulled himself free, stopping her.
"Did I do something wrong, husband?" she asked with concern as he dropped to his knees.
His answer was to kiss her, his tongue thrusting into her mouth with purpose, and he urged her back onto the bed of clover and lay himself on top of her. Tearing his mouth from hers, he began to press kisses along her jaw and growled, "Where did you learn to do that?"
"Oh." She blushed. "I saw one of the maids at court doing it, and seeing as how I like it when you ..." She paused and blushed as his head lifted and he peered at her. She