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The job of organising the bookcase in the library turned out to be a bigger job than Audrey had anticipated. She had thought that she could just sort through the books and put them back into alphabetical order. But it was soon obvious that wasn't going to work; there were just too many books.
“Are you alright down there darling?” Richard asked coming into the room and seeing her sitting on the floor surrounded by piles of books.
"I'm fine," she said, "but I can't fit all these books back onto the bookcase." She looked up at him with a pained expression. "There's not enough space here for every one of them. And some of them are still in boxes from when you moved back."
Richard knelt down and picked up a book on the English civil war. "Well if they're still in boxes then maybe we should get rid of some of them?" he suggested.
Audrey shook her head. "No, we can’t do that before we’ve had a good look through them. Some of these are very valuable." Her smile returned as she added, "Besides, you know I like to read a wide variety of books.”
“Like Lady Chatterley's Lover?" he asked, pointing towards one of the piles of books to her left.
Audrey blushed and quickly pulled an armful of books over to cover it. "Of course not!" she snapped. Then, more quietly, she said, "I didn’t realise I still had that."
"Really," Richard chuckled, "Just like you didn’t realise you had that Barbra Cartland book over there." He pointed to another book in the pile.
Audrey's face went bright red again and she pushed the pile of books away behind her. "Perhaps you'd better leave me alone to get on with this," she said.
“Oh no. I think I should help you." Richard grinned sitting down next to her. He reached into middle of the pile and pulled out a slim book that caught his attention. It was bound in dark brown leather and there was a gold clasp holding it together. The title, embossed in gold letters on the front cover, read 'Passionate Letters: Erotic Poems’.
Audrey stared at the book in surprise, then slowly reached forward and took it from his hands. "What is that?" she asked.
"It's a book of erotic poetry," Richard replied.
"Erotic poetry? Just the thing for the modern woman to read." Audrey said sarcastically. "I have never seen the appeal of things like that."
"That's because you don't know how to read it properly." Richard said opening the book to the first page. "Listen to this... your body is like a garden / Where roses grow, tender blossoms bloom / But those forbidden delights deny me / As I wander through your door..."
He stopped reading as Audrey snatched the book from his hand. "You're quite right," she said, "I don't understand a word of that." She looked at the title again. "Passionate Letters? Is that supposed to be passionate letters or poetic rhymes?"
Richard smiled. "I suppose you could say it's both."
Audrey looked at the book and narrowed her eyes. "Look at this," she said, pointing to a line on the second page. "It doesn't make any sense at all. 'I'll take your heart, I'll take your soul, I'll kiss your lips, and taste your tongue, until I have won.' What does that mean?"
Richard shrugged. "Poetry doesn't always make sense."
"But this is erotic poetry? I thought that meant it was supposed to be simple." Audrey asked.
Richard nodded. "It's meant to be sensual and romantic."
Audrey gave the book a closer examination than turned it over. "I really don’t remember buying this." she said. "Maybe it’s one of yours."
Richard laughed. "Not likely."
Audrey opened the cover and flicked through the pages. "This isn't what I would call romantic," she said.
“Oh I don’t know, maybe the more romantic poems are further in.” Richard said with a grin.
Audrey looked at him suspiciously. "Where?"
Richard pointed. "Look near the back."
She flicked through to the back and started to read a passage. "If I should die, my dear, before morning light, will you swear by my grave, that you'll never love another man?Or else I fear, I shall haunt you forevermore."
Audrey closed the book and looked up at Richard. “Not very romantic or erotic, is it?"
Richard shrugged. "I guess not. Here, let me have a look." He took the book and found a much more romantic poem. He began to read. "'Your beauty has set my heart on fire, my darling, my love, my one desire, is to be with you each and every day.'"
Audrey shook her head. "That’s a slight improvement."
Richard smiled. "It gets better."
He continued reading. "'In the night you were mine, in the morning you were gone, now I long only to hold you tight. Can I tell you my thoughts, my darling? Will you listen as I speak my mind? For I am in love with you, my dearest one.'"
Audrey looked at him with a smile. "A much better poem," she said.
“I’m not finished yet," Richard said. "Your body is like a temple, Your breasts are like jewels of rarest white gold, your thighs are like pillars of marble. I long to bury my face between them, to kiss your sweet lips, to caress your soft skin, and love you like no other man ever could.'"
Audrey blushed as she listened to him. He had such a sexy voice anyway but to hear him recite these poems sent a thrill right through her.
Richard laughed. "Now that is a bit more erotic, isn't it?"
Audrey nodded.
Richard looked at her with a smile on his face before flicking through the book again. The poem he landed on made him blush. "My word, this one is positively lurid." he said.
"Let me see," Audrey said looking over his shoulder. "Oh my! That is rather risqué. And the detail of how he takes her in the library..."
"We've never done that," Richard said
"Well perhaps we should give it a try sometime." Audrey said.
Richard looked at her with a wicked glint in his eye, "No time like the present." He ran his hand up and down her thigh.
Audrey grabbed his hand. "Darling, we need to finish sorting these books."
"Yes, I know, and I promise I'll help you.” Richard said nuzzling her neck.
Audrey closed her eyes as he kissed at licked at the sensitive skin of her neck. "Richard, please. We don't want to get caught."
"So what if we do? It’s our house. Besides it’ll add to the excitement."
"Excitement is one thing, but it wouldn't exactly be discreet."
Richard laughed. "Don’t be such a prude, Audrey."
She blushed. "I'm not being a prude. I'm just saying we shouldn't do this in the library. Someone might come in."
"No they won’t.” Richard said, trailing kisses along her jawline.
Audrey felt her resistance melt as his lips touched hers. She responded immediately to his kiss and let herself fall into his arms. "Oh yes," she moaned as he pulled her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.
Richard laid her gently back onto the floor, then followed her down so that he lay between her thighs. His lips descended upon hers hungrily as his hands roamed over her body.
She broke off from their kiss long enough to gasp, "Do you hear something?"
Richard looked up and listened intently. "No. Not a sound."
"You're sure?" Audrey asked, suddenly worried.
"I'm positive." He kissed her again.
His hand trailed down her body, finding the hem of her skirt and pulling it up. His fingers traced patterns across the smooth skin of her outer thigh as his hips rocked agains hers. Audrey writhed beneath him as she felt his arousal press against her centre.
"Oh Richard," she whimpered, "please."
His mouth returned to her lips in a frenzy of kissing. The feel of his tongue in her mouth drove her wild. She could feel the heat building within her as his ground his hips harder against hers
Audrey's breathing became more rapid as she felt herself losing control. She gripped the back of his head tightly in her hands and thrust her hips upwards meeting his pelvis with each movement of his hips.
Suddenly the door started to open. "In here Steven" came a voice from outside. They both froze.
Audrey looked at Richard in panic. "What do we do?" She said desperately.
Fortunately they were behind the settee and we’re protected from view of the door. "Don’t move," Richard said.
They heard footsteps enter and then the voice of Marjory from the doorway, "Oh that’s odd. I’m sure Aud said to meet her here for tea. Do you know where she is Brabinger?”
"No. Would you like to wait in the Drawing room Miss Frobisher. I’m sure she’ll be along shortly.”
"Yes I will. Thank you.”
They heard the door close and then silence.
Richard smiled. "Well that was close." He said.
"Too close. I can’t believe I let you talk me into this." Audrey replied.
"Come on Audrey, it was fun."
He moved to kiss again her but Audrey pushed on his shoulders to stop him.
“Oh no you don’t. “ she said wriggling out from beneath him and sitting up, “Marjory is waiting for me and I am not going to let her find us doing this.”
"But it was so exciting. I thought you were enjoying yourself." Richard said while standing up and helping Audrey up.
"That was your fault darling.” She grinned, kissing his cheek.
"Admit it, you found it exciting being intimate in here." He said smiling.
Audrey flushed and looked away from him. "I'm not admitting anything."
"Of course not." Richard chuckled.
The pair stood side by side and both looked down at the books scattered all over the floor. "We’ll have to sort those out after tea." Audrey sighed.
Richard smiled. "Perhaps I could help you again."
Audrey rolled her eyes. "No thank you."
"Are you sure? You seemed to enjoy it last time."
"I simply couldn't resist your charm." She looked at him with a smile.
"You didn't resist very hard though." He said with a wink.
Audrey smiled. "That's true. Fine you can help me. But this time…” she paused and placed her hand on his chest, “… we are locking the door.”