Page 100 of Beyond Her Manner
Every sweep of her tongue sent a new wave of arousal through Viola, her body writhing beneath the exquisite torment. The feelings only intensified as Gillian’s fingers teased her, stroking, then gently pushing, until they slid inside her. Any attempt to delay the inevitable was fruitless. Her body tensed, the pleasure spiralling until she finally surrendered.
“Gillian…” Viola moaned, her voice barely audible as she tilted her head back, her hands clutching the sheets as she unravelled completely.
Lying there, eyes shut tight, she could sense Gillian’s movements around her. She tried to move, to reach out, but she was too exhausted. She wrenched her eyes open as the sheets were pulled over her, wrapping around her before she was gently turned onto her side and drawn into Gillian’s arms. She’d never felt as happy as she did in this moment. As safe.
It was almost impossible to believe this was where they’d ended up after everything — the tension, the icy glares, the biting words exchanged with Gillian when she moved to Kingsford and took her place. Now, the same woman held her like this, with such affection, after claiming her in a way Viola could never imagine. And yet, despite the absurdity of it all, it felt right.
Feeling a soft kiss to the top of her head caused a bubbling sensation, like champagne fizzing, to flow through her veins. Gillian pulled her closer, their bodies minds and souls fitting together like puzzle pieces. Closing her eyes again, she nestled against Gillian’s chest as a smile forced its way to her lips.
CHAPTER 24
Gillian woke with an unexpected warmth radiating beside her. An arm reached out to her under the duvet, bringing to her the sudden realisation that she was not alone. Her mind filled in the blanks as she trailed a finger along Viola’s arm.
“Good morning.”
“Morning,” Gillian replied quietly, nerves beginning to set in again in the cold light of day.
She spotted Agatha by her feet, glaring back at her with disdain. The cat got up, walking up to greet them before settling between them and purring.
“Agatha. How nice to see you, and here of all places.” Viola stroked the cat’s soft fur as she stretched out.
“She refused to move back into the manor.”
“After refusing to leave in the first place?”
“Yes,” Gillian confirmed. “Once you left, I saw a lot more of her.”
She’d become rather fond of her feline companion since then. The cat having decided she preferred the lodge after all made her feel as if they were of one mind. Even if it that mind was keeping warm.
“Maybe the manor wasn’t the reason she stayed; maybe it was me,” Viola suggested as Agatha got back up and returned to her spot at the bottom of the bed.
Gillian laughed. “I hadn’t thought of it like that.”
“I was joking, but they say cats have a sixth sense about things. She might have known we were destined for each other before we did.”
“You returned her to me at the lodge enough times. Maybe it was part of some cunning plan on her part to bring us closer together.”
“To make you hate me even more for stealing your cat as well as your house?” Viola chuckled.
“I don’t think I ever really hated you. Perhaps a tiny bit,” Gillian conceded. “You had everything I lost.”
“I had everything you sold. Even if it was a reluctant sale, I only bought and paid for things, including priceless art in the attic, which you stubbornly overlooked.”
Gillian couldn’t help smiling. “Jonathon ultimately saved the day after ruining it in the first place. Although, technically Arte spotted it.”
“I like to think my trained eye for good art helped with that,” Viola said with an exaggerated air of importance, waving her hand as if she were some kind of art connoisseur. She flashed a quick, self-satisfied smile even as Gillian raised an eyebrow. Viola continued, undeterred. “I mean, it takes years to develop this kind of instinct, you know? Recognising a hidden gem comes naturally to me now. The brushstrokes, the composition… all very subtle clues only someone knowledgeable would pick up on.” With Gillian’s eyebrow still raised, Viola conceded. “Yes, okay, I missed it, too, and then I went and put it on display without realising, only for it to end up in a magazine where someone with an expert eye spotted it.”
Gillian laughed as Viola nestled closer to her, their bodies entwined under the cosy sheets. They lay there, wrapped in each other’s arms, the quiet comfort of their closeness enough to fill the silence.
Viola’s voice, soft yet hesitant, broke through the stillness. “Did you mean what you said yesterday… about not wanting there to be a time when you’re without me?”
Gillian didn’t even need to think. Her answer was immediate. “Yes,” she whispered, her lips brushing lightly against Viola’s hair. “I meant every word.”
“When was the last time you left Kingsford?”
“Only the other day I went to the supermarket in the next town.”
Viola sat up, revealing her bare breasts. “I don’t mean travelling locally; I mean further afield.”
