Thank you for all your great feedback everyone, it's been fascinating and thank you to North200 for editing.
*****
Ivy opened her eyes, and blinked. She was alone. She had no idea where Richard had gone or when he'd left but the idea of him being awake while she slept unnerved her. She didn't seem to have a hang over, but she hadn't drunk that much, just a bit of wine with her dinner, and then a few glasses of champagne at the ball, they hadn't stayed at the party for long enough to get really sloshed.
Tentatively she sat up and looked around, the room was bright and airy. In the light of day it seemed even bigger than it had the night before, and it was so much bigger and brighter than her dodge.
She looked around, she hadn't taken a lot of notice of her surroundings the night before. The white washed walls were bathed in morning sunlight which was muted and softened by flowing sheer drapes that covered the vast french windows. She swung her feet down and rested them on the wooden floor. Wandering over to the window she looked out and was greeted with a panoramic view of the grounds. She could see the lake and the farm shop, and the copse they were all parked up in. She looked harder and she thought she could make out her van, but she wasn't sure, it was painted a shade of green that meant it was well camouflaged in a woodland. It was still early still, but already there were people on the lawn tidying up.
Turning back towards the bedroom, she was drawn towards a large painting hanging on the nearest wall. She reached out and dragged her finger down the wooden frame. She recognised the style, from the canvases in the summerhouse.
A noise from outside interrupted her reverie, bringing her back to the present. Where had Richard gone? Would he come back? What should she do in this situation? What time was it? There was a mobile phone sitting on the desk. It was Apple and the very latest model. It must have been Richard's. The screen displayed 9:15. She placed the phone carefully back on the desk, and her gaze flickered to the door. He probably hadn't gone far if he hadn't taken his phone. She made a decision, she wasn't going to mill around here, wondering if he was coming back. She was going to get dressed and go back to the truck and carry on with her day.
She had plans anyway, she was having dinner with the others today. They ate together every full moon. They all brought a dish and had a big fire. She'd only lived there long enough to have done it twice before, but it had been a lovely evening both times. They lounged around the fire pit, chatting about nothing in particular, drinking cheap red wine and singing. Alex had played his banjo and her and Ruth tried and failed to sing harmonies. Ivy remembered the text she'd sent to Ruth the night before and she blushed. Knowing Ruth a cross-examination worthy of the Spanish Inquisition was coming up.
Looking around for her clothes she spotted her dress lying forlornly in a heap near the door and she darted over to it. She was relieved to find her underwear underneath it. Gathering everything up she headed for the en suite. She eyed the bath. With its huge brass taps and array of products it seemed to be calling to her. It had been a while since she'd had a bath, a proper long soak in a real bath. It was a big bath too. She cast a longing look at the bubble bath and then her gaze moved over to the shower and she bit her lip. Normally she used the little shower block behind the farm shop but it was better if you got there early and even then the hot water ran out after a few minutes.
The shower was glorious, she was so glad she'd decided to take one there after all. She stood perfectly still for ages as the piping hot water washed over her. As she squeezed a blob shower gel into her palm and soaped herself in its lather she was greeted with a smell she associated with Richard and she was transported back in time; Richard walking her home after the birthday and draping his jacket over her shoulders, hugging him without thinking after he'd popped round to check on her a few days later and lastly memories of the night before came flooding back, filling her head with improper lustful thoughts and a desire that swept through her so powerfully that she had to lean on the tiled wall to steady herself.
Was this thing over between them now? At the thought that she might never know him in this way again, a sense of loss, that bordered on grief rose up from her abdomen and filled her chest with a tightness.
She needed to get away from his room and back to more comforting, familiar surroundings. She wanted to go home. Sighing, she started to rinse the shampoo out of her hair.
*
Balancing the tray with one hand and pushing the door open with the other Richard backed into the room. He had been hoping to return before Ivy woke up, so he could wake her with breakfast in bed. She had looked so peaceful lying there, all curled up with the sheet bunched up against her, her long, dark, hair fanned out across the pillow and her sooty dark eyelashes spread across her delicate cheek. The early morning sun had bathed the room, giving her skin a magical, almost golden hue.
But save for the rumpled sheets the bed was empty. He frowned as he searched the room. Her clothes were gone too. Disappointment and confusion warred within him, until the sound of the shower seeped into his consciousness and then he smiled and a fuzzy warm feeling swept the disappointment away. She was still there.
Behind the noise of the shower there was something else. She was singing. Its hard to make out the tune but she was definitely singing. He strained to make sense of the sound, which was being partially drowned out by the water. A mental image of Ivy naked, covered in soapsuds flashed up in his mind. He wanted to go in there and push her up against the tiles and have her again, to give her pleasure until she was a quivering mess. He remembered her voice and the way she had spoken his name, all breathy as she came and the strength of his desire shocked him. He clenched his fists. He must stop behaving like a neanderthal around her. It was probably best if they didn't have sex for a while, at least not penetrative sex, she might be a bit tender.
The shower stopped, she would be out soon. To distract himself he rested the tray gently on a low table and pulled the bed into shape. She emerged a moment later, rosy cheeked, wrapped in a towel, filling the room with a clean fresh smell. She stilled and her eyes widened when she saw him.
"There you are," he smiled, "I made us some coffee."
"Thanks," She mumbled as her gaze skittered around the room, taking in the tray and the newly made bed. When it finally returned to him her expression was cautious.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, whipping off the towel. For all his good intentions, now that he had her in the flesh he didn't want to take things slowly. He knew he should have spent more time figuring out what her intentions where and how she felt, but he couldn't help himself and before he knew it she was beneath him on the bed and his arms were braced on either side of her head and he was covering her face with kisses.
*
Ivy was giggling and trying to catch her breath at the same time and it wasn't working. Suddenly Richard stopped kissing her and lifted himself up on his elbows and looked down.
"God you're beautiful."
She stopped laughing and opened her mouth to reply but then she closed it. The feeling that this wasn't really happening returned again, settling over her like a dream. But Richard hadn't been expecting her to reply, he was kissing her again, discovering every part of her with his lips, licking away errant droplets of water left on her skin and his tongue was sending tantalising thrills skittering over her body.
"What shall we do today?" he asked, as his lips trailed down her stomach.
And as Ivy stared up at the ceiling, which was an awful lot further away than the one in her truck, she found that she was pleased at his assumption that they would be spending the day together.
*
It was hours later, and the sun was starting to set/light was starting to fade when they got to/arrived at the copse where Ivy's van was parked. She was greeted noisily with laughter and jeers of 'dirty stop out' and 'where did you sleep last night.' Richard noticed that she was blushing furiously but she gave as good as she got.
Thankfully the conversation quickly moved on to other things like what was going to be for lunch and who was going to be doing what. As they talked about what to make for dinner everyone was assigned different jobs, it was all very efficient. It was decided that Ivy and Richard would make coleslaw. Ivy's coleslaw seemed to be held in very high esteem by the others.
When dinner plans had been decided Ivy slipped a hand into his and caught his eye. "I should change out of this dress," she told him quietly, "I won't be a sec."
