by Golden Angel
Intent on getting Vivian alone and all to himself as soon as possible, it was only the look in his stepmother’s eye that kept Gabriel from throwing his bride over his shoulder and storming off with her. After all, he didn’t much care what society thought, or even what her parents thought at this point. She was his and he wanted to claim her, with all the barbaric lust of his ancestors currently surging through him. But he wouldn’t put it past Audrey, or his sisters, to bodily place herself in front of him and make him return to the celebrations, which would embarrass Vivian and could possibly hurt her standing, depending on how the gossips decided to tell it.
Which was probably why Audrey and his sisters were never more than ten feet away from him at any given time as he mingled with the wedding guests, gritting his teeth through a grin. His only satisfaction was in being able to keep his hands on Vivian’s person without any outraged matrons screeching about impropriety. Even if touching her was its own special brand of torture, as it only emphasized that she was fully clothed and he wasn’t going to have her to himself anytime soon.
As they spoke with their guests, Gabriel found his patience wearing even thinner. He did receive a momentary reprieve when they greeted George and Mary, the happy couple whose own wedding had marked the beginning of the path to Gabriel’s and Vivian’s. Unlike many of the backbiters and social climbers of the ton, they were both truly happy for Gabriel and Vivian.
“I take it the school was everything you’d hoped for?” George murmured quietly as Mary and Vivian exchanged kisses and compliments. Vivian’s smile was more sincere, her demeanor more relaxed, as she spoke with her cousin.
“Oh yes,” Gabriel confirmed, a true smile spreading across his own face. “Although, I think my choice of bride had just as much to do with it.”
Chuckling, George clapped him on the shoulder. “Isn’t that the truth?”
Although Gabriel would like to sit down and compare notes with George at some point, the wedding breakfast was certainly not the appropriate venue for such a conversation. Nor did they have the time, as there were far too many others that Gabriel and Vivian had to greet as well.
By the time they’d made the rounds of all the guests and Audrey had finally given him a discreet nod of dismissal, amusement quite clear in her laughing eyes, Gabriel had become quite adept at angling his body so no one would notice the bulge pressing against his pants.
“Thank God,” he muttered, immediately grasping Vivian just above her elbow and practically dragging her towards the exit.
“Gabriel? Wait. What—where are we going?” she hissed at him in a frantic whisper, dragging her heels.
That was cause for spanking, he decided immediately, and they were going to have a talk about letting him drag her off whenever and however he damned well pleased.
“To my—our—home for some privacy. Immediately,” he said, not bothering to keep his voice down. Off to the side he heard someone titter, but he didn’t look to see who it was; with all the rumors about their love match floating around London, no one expected him to be anything but impatient now that they’d lingered long enough to satisfy the social expectations.
“But my family . . .” Vivian looked over her shoulder at them—they obviously hadn’t noticed yet that she was being escorted out of the room—and then beseechingly up at him. He groaned as those wide green eyes stabbed straight to his heart. After the ceremony he hadn’t missed his bride’s joy in seeing her siblings, or her pleasure this past week at spending time with her parents.
Pulling her to him, he lowered his head to whisper in her ear. “Go and make your farewells, and I promise we’ll see them again both before we leave for our honeymoon and after we return. We’ll spend as much time with them as you want, once we return. You have five minutes, and then I am taking you out of here, even if I have to put you over my shoulder to do it.”
The harsh, ragged quality of his tone and the way his hand tightened on her hip emphasized his point. Vivian was shocked at how aroused she felt by the image he put in her mind, even though she knew she’d never live down the shame of it. Was this what the gossip had meant when they’d talked about Lord Cranborne’s “wild” behavior? Would he truly do such a scandalous thing at his own wedding breakfast?
One look in his molten silver eyes as he pulled away, and Vivian was quite sure that yes, yes, he would. He wanted to do the things to her that he did when they were alone at night, only now they were married and it was the middle of the day. She hadn’t realized marital relations could be conducted before bedtime. Was he teasing her?
“Five minutes,” he intoned again, perfectly serious.
Her mouth worked for a moment and then she whirled away. Five minutes to make her farewells and then Gabriel was going to take her to her new home and do all the things he hadn’t done to her yet. Make her a bride and a married woman in truth.
Warmth flooded her loins, heightening the color in her cheeks, as she hurried to her parents and siblings, her mind irrevocably focused on what might happen once she and Gabriel were alone again.
CHAPTER TWENTY
AS SOON AS GABRIEL SETTLED HIMSELF INTO the seat of the carriage, he pulled Vivian onto his lap, ignoring her squeal of surprise. Although the carriage ride was only ten minutes long, he intended to put those ten minutes to good use. He was determined that by the time they arrived at his house, she would be as aroused and anxious as he was.
“Ga—”
He cut off his name with a kiss, smothering the words with his lips and tongue. Vivian wriggled for a moment and then submitted, her body relaxing in his arms and inflaming his passions further with her quick acquiescence. She was warm and soft on his lap, one of her arms trapped against his body, the other pressing a hand to his chest as she kissed him back.
The bump and rolling of the carriage only served to press his groin against her soft bottom, and he groaned as the pleasurable friction taunted him. Reaching up to cup her breast, Gabriel wrapped his other hand around her waist and held her securely against him. Vivian practically melted in his arms as he pinched her nipple through the fabric of her wedding dress.
She couldn’t believe Gabriel was touching her like this, in a carriage—even if it was closed—in the middle of the day. Somehow she hadn’t thought he would even be interested in such activities except at nighttime. After all, hadn’t her mother said her husband would visit her bed in the night? Hadn’t her sessions at the school and his visitations always come in the evening?
Yet Gabriel’s intent had been clear from the moment he’d wanted to leave their wedding breakfast. At first she’d almost thought she’d misunderstood, but now she knew she hadn’t. She couldn’t help but feel a heady rush of pleasure that he obviously wanted to touch and kiss her so badly, even if it was scandalous. The slightly shocked whispers as she’d been hurried from their guests should have bothered her, but they didn’t.
“Oh!” she gasped. She writhed slightly as his lips left her mouth and latched onto her neck. Her lips felt swollen from his passionate kiss, her pulse throbbed as he sucked on the delicate skin of her throat, and she clung to him, her legs stirring restlessly as her thighs rubbed together in an attempt to ease the aching tension building between her legs. “Gabriel . . . Is this . . . Are we . . .?”
He chuckled, pinching her nipple tightly between his fingers and tormenting both of them as she let out a whimper of pain that made his cock jerk against the swell of her buttocks.
“No, sweet, I’m not going to deflower you in the carriage . . . but I am going to make you burn.” The hand around her waist moved to her lower stomach, pressing erotically close to the area where she yearned for pressure, but not coming quite close enough. Vivian’s body undulated, her hips reaching for his touch. “I’m going to make you burn for me, and when we get to the house I’m going to take you to our room, to our bed, and then I’m going to take my time.”
Vivian couldn’t find the words to tell him she was already burning; as often as she’d h
ad her passions roused since she’d begun her marriage training, she had never experienced the full onslaught of passion Gabriel was unleashing now. Before this he’d always had to be so controlled, keeping his own lusts under a tight leash, and so had not been able to indulge himself as much as he’d wanted. Now his hands wandered, and even through the thick fabric of her wedding dress his touch burned her, every caress stoking the flames higher as she writhed for him.
Turning her slightly in his lap to give him better access to her body, Gabriel faced her away from him. He was disappointed he couldn’t see her face, but now he could cup both of her breasts in his hands and slide his hand down between her legs. He arranged her so she had one leg on either side of his. He spread his legs and forced hers to spread as well, under her skirts, allowing her no pressure or friction against the swollen, sodden folds of her pussy. Whimpering, Vivian instinctively arched her back, which ground her bottom against her husband’s lap, his stiff rod nestled in the cleft of her cheeks.
Fortunately for both of them, the ride between his father’s house and his own was not long, or he might have truly lost all control and lifted her skirts then and there to have her.
When the carriage rocked to a halt, Gabriel gave her full breasts one last firm squeeze before gently placing her back on her side of the carriage to give them both a moment to recover. She looked absolutely delicious, her cheeks flushed bright red, her lips swollen, and her hair just disheveled enough to soften the elaborate coiffure. Her breasts heaved with every breath she took, her lips slightly parted as she sucked in air. The slightly dazed look in her eyes had every one of his masculine senses singing with smugness.
“Come, Sunrise,” he said, opening the door and stepping down before turning back to offer his hand. “Time to go inside.”
The absolutely wolfish grin that accompanied his words would have caused many a proper matron to swoon, it was so clear what his intent was. Vivian could only gape at him. Her senses whirled chaotically as the abrupt loss of his touch rendered her anxious. She wanted to throw herself on top of him, not step sedately out of the carriage like a lady. Right now she didn’t feel at all like a proper lady should.
Blushing furiously, she accepted his hand and stepped down, trying not to look at the coachman, wondering how much he’d been able to hear. When they were in the carriage she’d completely forgotten about him, completely forgotten they were somewhere they could be overheard or discovered. Would there ever be a day when Gabriel didn’t completely overcome her senses and sensibilities?
He didn’t even look as though he had a hair out of place, his expression completely solemn except for the way his eyes burned whenever he looked at her. Other than that, he was the very image of a proper and solicitous husband. Whereas she felt wrinkled and rumpled, out of breath, and completely discombobulated.
Gabriel led her up the stairs before he swept her up in his arms to cross the threshold. Giggling, Vivian clung to him, but then she was only able to gasp in shock as he swept right past the servants who had gathered.
“I’ll introduce you to your new mistress later, Mrs. Pringle,” he called over his shoulder to the housekeeper, who watched him with obvious amusement as he carried Vivian up the stairs. Moaning with embarrassment, she buried her face in his shoulder as the housekeeper began to shoo the other servants away, doing her best to ignore the small encouraging cheers following them up to the second landing.
Even so, she couldn’t summon anger over his highhanded ways; indeed, part of her thrilled at it. She’d heard some of the whispers about the purported love match between them and knew it had become true on her side. If Gabriel’s actions were any indication, there was certainly more than just an arrangement on his.
vivian’s suspicions were even more on point than she realized; Gabriel was almost shocked at his complete loss of control, the fact that his desire for her had overridden any sense of propriety.
“I’ll never be able to look Mrs. Pringle in the face after this,” Vivian whispered into his collar, clutching at his jacket.
Laughing, Gabriel shifted her weight in his arms as he strode down the hall to the room they’d be sharing. “Of course you will, Sunrise. And like a proper housekeeper, she’ll pretend she never saw a thing. Besides, I’m sure she’d be thanking you if she thought it was appropriate.”
“Thanking me? For what?” Vivian asked curiously. She peeked out of Gabriel’s collar as he paused, realizing they were now standing in front of a doorway, the door only partially open. Keeping her pressed against him, Gabriel shouldered it aside.
“For her winnings. I’ll eat my hat if she’s not one of the staff who bet I’d carry you off to bed without bothering with the niceties. Pringle’s known me for years.”
So busy looking around the room, Vivian didn’t take immediate notice of his words. There was plenty to distract her; the room was incredibly large and airy, her trunks had already been piled against one wall, but the decor was decidedly masculine. Forest-green velvet draped against the large windows on the far wall as well as the bed; muted orange and rust cushions adorned the cream-colored window seat. A delicate ivory vanity, looking rather out of place against the darker woods of the other furniture, was set near one of the windows. Next to it was a chair she recognized as having come directly from Mrs. Cunningham’s Finishing School, and even as she shuddered, she felt her insides clench in anticipation.
As Gabriel set her down, the meaning of his words finally punctured her thoughts. And she turned beet red. “Oh, dear . . .”
Gabriel just laughed. The smile that curved his lips was only visible for a second before he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, lowering his mouth to hers. He was done with waiting to claim her. Vivian reached up to touch him, but he grasped her wrists in one hand, holding them behind the small of her back. She moaned into his mouth, pressing her body against him as her arousal flared back up with a vengeance. The fires had been banked, waiting, and now they roared to life, accompanied by the secure warmth that only came from knowing one’s value, from acknowledging the meaning behind the act.
The kiss seared her with its intensity. She’d been kissed by Gabriel often enough to note the difference, although she didn’t realize it was because he was no longer holding anything back from her. There was no need, as he no longer had to refrain from taking her virginity.
Step by step he backed her towards the bed, her satin curves pressing against him as she stumbled and tripped over her train, held up by his arms. He didn’t mind in the least. He enjoyed the way her body moved against his, and was further aroused by the way she clung to him to keep herself upright. Torn between wanting to ensure she enjoyed this experience despite the pain of losing her maidenhead and wanting to bury himself in her immediately, Gabriel broke off the kiss and turned her around.
“Put your hands on the bed. Don’t move them.”
Vivian trembled as she did what he said, her legs automatically sliding apart to help her keep her balance as she bent forward. As she placed her hands on the dark green blanket spread over the bed, she couldn’t help but notice how small her pale hands looked, her slender arms encased in the mint green of her dress. The darker forest-green almost seemed to make her skin glow.
Slight pressure against the base of her neck, and then it released, and lips pressed themselves against her revealed skin, Gabriel’s body pressing into her from behind. She groaned as his weight rested against her, arms trembling as she held them upright. The fact that he’d only undone a couple of buttons meant he had to bend over her completely to kiss her neck, and his rigid erection dug into the soft flesh of her buttocks. She couldn’t help but whimper in excitement.
A few more buttons, another kiss. He followed the pattern over and over again, trailing kisses slowly down her spine until he reached the top of her corset. Then he pulled the buttons apart much faster, and the gown sagged around her body as it opened for him.
“Stand up.”
He pulled the gown
from her arms and down her hips, and had her step out of it, leaving her in her corset, chemise, and drawers, still facing away from him.
“Hands back on the bed,” Gabriel ordered, his voice more hoarse as he placed his hands on her hips and caressed them while she leaned forward again.
Knowing she was presenting her bottom to him, in a way that practically begged him to spank it, Vivian’s emotions ricocheted wildly between excitement and anxiety. Would he spank her on their wedding night? The confusion, the anticipation, only added to her building arousal.
The laces of her corset pulled and loosened, allowing her to take deeper breaths, and then it fell from her body, joining her gown on the floor and leaving her only thinly covered.
“Stay like that. Just. Like. That.” Gabriel’s voice was rough, heavy with desire, and Vivian shivered as he stepped away. She missed his warmth immediately. The sound of fabric sliding indicated he was disrobing. Wanting to see him, wanting to know what he looked like under his shirt and pants, Vivian craned her neck around.
She only got a glimpse of broad shoulders, a muscled torso, and crisp black hairs scattered across his chest, before a sharp smack to her bottom had her head whipping back around.
“I told you to stay in place.”
Smack!
He spanked her three more times before she cried out, her bottom stinging from the hard slaps, her fingers digging into the soft fabric of his blanket. The red markings across her skin, visible through the thin fabric of her drawers and chemise, made it even more difficult for Gabriel to pull himself free of his pants, as his erection had become hard to the point of almost being painful.
There would be plenty of time for her to look, touch, and explore to her heart’s delight, once he’d sated both of them.
The smell of her arousal filled his nose as he pulled the pantaloons down over her hips and she lifted each of her feet to remove them completely. The red prints on her bottom were already fading to pink; between her cheeks her pussy lips were swollen, slick with her juices. Placing his hands on either side of the tempting lips, he pulled them apart, leaving Vivian gasping as his warm breath wafted across her sensitive inner folds.