Chapter 4 IN THE GARDEN

The night air was cool against Ivy's skin as she slipped out of the ballroom, every heartbeat was a mixture of excitement and anxiety. She needed to be away from the suffocating atmosphere of the ballroom created by her father and Lord Wellington, an excuse she made for herself to be out in the garden where the air was thick with the scent of flowers and the only sound was the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze.

As she wandered through the garden, Ivy could not get her encounter with Arnold off her mind, the enigmatic stranger who had captured her attention from the moment they met. She could not shake the image of his stares, his commanding presence, the way his touch sent shivers down her spine while they danced.

Lost in her thoughts, she did not notice the figure standing in the shadows until it was too late. She gasped in surprise as Arnold stepped out from behind a tall pillar, with mischief in his eyes as he watched her approach.

"Ivy," he said, his voice being low and seductive, sending a thrill of anticipation coursing through her veins.

"Arnold," Ivy responded, her voice barely above a whisper, her heart racing at the sight of him.

His eyes burned with desire. "I have been waiting for you." He said as he took off his mask, revealing his face to her for the first time.

Arnold was a 6'2 handsome young man, his facial hair arrayed with poise with an obvious mustache across his lips. This took Ivy to places she had never been and, as it seemed, she did not want it to end soon.

Without a word, Arnold closed the distance between them, his hands reaching out to her waist into his embrace. Ivy melted against him, her body trembling with anticipation as his lips met hers in an intense kiss. At that moment, all the thoughts of Lord Wellington, her father and the dangers that lurked in the shadows faded away, replaced by a hunger that consumed them both.

"I did not know beauty till I laid eyes on it tonight", Arnold took a large gasp as he completed his sentence "you are it Ivy."

Ivy, confused as to why someone she just met had every ounce of her on lockdown. "I really should not be here, but I do not want this to end." she said faintly.

At that moment, Arnold drew her close to him once more, burying his elegant mustache deep in her face. Lip on lip, nose to nose, he kissed her like nobody knew.

Ivy, trying to regain her composure, whispered," we cannot do this here. What if someone sees us?"

At this point, Arnold was not a man of words. He carried Ivy from the thickness of her behind with his bare hands to an isolated booth in the garden hidden away from the sight of others, or so they thought.

Gasping for breath, there was an awkward silence after he put her down. Staring into each other's souls, wanting to know every inch of detail through their lustful eyes.

This was not love, it was something more. It was lust and, coincidentally, it was mutual and intense. Within a fleeting moment, Arnold trailed his tongue down Ivy's neck, making her moan so softly all she could think about was wanting more, more of his touch and more of his soft words deep into her ears and mind.

In unison, they reached out for each other's faces, embracing themselves with a deep kiss once again as he pinned down Ivy, putting aside her midnight blue gown and then tearing her pantyhose to reveal her underwear beneath.

Ivy's heart pounded in her chest as Arnold kept closing the distance between their bodies, his hands reaching out to cup her face as he leaned in to kiss her. She melted against him, her body trembling with anticipation as their lips met.

Ivy's mind had gone blank since the moment she saw his face, now filled only with the sensation of Arnold's lips on hers, his hand's running through her hair, his body pressed against hers.

But even as all this was happening, Ivy's mind was clouded with uncertainty. This was wrong, she knew, this forbidden attraction between them could only lead to trouble. And yet she could not bring herself to pull away, she could not resist the desire and pleasure she felt at that very moment. It was the situation of a moth to a flame.

"Arnold," she whispered against his lips, her voice barely a breath, "we shouldn't..."

But Arnold silenced her with yet another kiss, his lips insistent as they moved against hers. And at that moment, Ivy surrendered to the heat of the moment, her doubts, worries and fears all pushed aside by the overwhelming need for him.

And then in a moment, Arnold pulled Ivy's rose-colored panties to the side with the plan to reach the peak of their passion, their bodies becoming one at the apex of sensation.

"Are you sure you want this? You seem tight down there; we do not have to rush anything", Arnold said softly.

"I do... but, I have never done this before", Ivy said without giving it a second thought. "Let me know if anything changes", Arnold replied as he leaned in.' kissing her again

Ivy cried out severely in euphoria as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. Thrust after thrust, pump after pump, her whole being consumed by the intensity of their connection. It was pain to pleasure, to pleasure and then more pleasure.

As they stood together in the aftermath, their bodies still connected, Ivy felt a sense of contentment wash over her. At that moment, nothing else mattered but the two of them, their satisfaction and emotions transcending the boundaries of time and space.

But as reality began to set back in, Ivy knew that their forbidden love was not without consequences. She knew that they would have to face the challenge that lay ahead, the disapproval of society and the obstacles that stood in their way.

But for now, in the embrace of Arnold, her supposed lover, she allowed herself to forget everything but the moment she had just had, soaking in the warmth of their connection and promise of what the future might hold. At that moment, she knew that she would do whatever it took to be with Arnold, even if it meant risking everything she had ever known, because she had just lost her innocence.

Each lost in their own thoughts after their passionate encounter, they slowly regained their composure, their breathing gradually returning to normal. Ivy adjusted her midnight blue gown while Arnold straightened his suit and breeches, both trying to hide the evidence of their hanky-panky.

"We should head back," Ivy finally said, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

"Before someone notices we are missing" Arnold nodded in agreement, his eyes fixed on Ivy's face, not ready to let go of the moment just yet. "Yes, you are right," he replied, his voice filled with emotions.

Together they made their way back to the ballroom, their steps slow and hesitant. The night air felt charged with nostalgia, each breath streaked with the memory of their shared passion.

As they approached the entrance to the ballroom, Ivy felt a cramp of anxiety wash over her. What would people think if they knew what had just happened between her and Arnold? Would they judge her, or worse, would they use it against her and her family?

But Arnold took her hand in his as they were in front of the ballroom doors, offering her a reassuring smile that eased away her worries. "Do not worry," he said softly, his voice low and comforting. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Ivy, feeling a lot more at ease, returned his smile with one of her own, grateful for his presence in her life. Together, they stepped back into the ballroom with their faces carefully composed as they rejoined the festivities. No one seemed to notice their absence, and for that, Ivy was grateful and at the same time hopeful for what was ahead.