“You win,” Simon said warmly.
“No, sir, I believe that it was you that won,” Emilia said, uncrossing her arms and standing at ease.
“Well, if you say so,” Simon replied.
As their laughter subsided, Simon looked to Emilia once more, and she thought the contest was to begin again! To her great surprise, there was a vastly different look in Simon’s eyes this time. There was seriousness there that Emilia had never seen before. It was as though something troubled him.
“Is everything all right?” Emilia asked, true concern filling her.
“There’s something I must do,” Simon replied.
“What is it?”
“I wish to apologize for this, but I don’t think that I can,” he said. Before Emilia could ask what he was speaking of, she watched as Simon strode towards her in no uncertain terms, swept her up into his arms, his chest pressed against hers. He brought his mouth to hers much more forcefully than the first time, and Emilia gave into him.
Her head was spinning and blood was coursing through every inch of her body. She could feel Simon holding her tightly, as though she were the most important object in the world, and she remained suspended there for some time as Simon’s lips probed her own.
She brought her hands down to his shoulders to steady herself, even though his grip was so firm, and there she felt the tremendous hardness of the muscles along the shoulders and arms.
The kiss was pure fire, and Emilia gave into this fire, thinking that there was no place on earth she would rather be. Slowly letting Emilia down, she could feel the equal hardness underneath Simon’s trousers. It was shocking and provoking, both at the same time. Emilia knew what that hardness indicated, and it only intensified the deep feelings of longing within her.
Instead of the kiss coming to an end, it seemed to go on and on. Simon slowly pulled his lips away from Emilia’s mouth and allowed them to graze down her chin and softly onto her neck. Emilia threw her head back in pleasure and moaned; a kind of moan that she had never made before. From the softness and dampness of his lips, Emilia could almost feel Simon’s tongue on that sensitive area. She could feel dampness under her skirt, between her legs; another new sensation that indicated that her body was responding to Simon’s touch just as his body was responding to her own.
“Simon,” she whispered, bringing her hands behind his head and running her fingers through his hair. “Simon,” she said breathlessly once more, but the only response was a deep-throated growl on his part.
Not satisfied with kissing her neck, Simon’s lips travelled down to Emilia’s collarbones which were exposed. He dragged his lips along her shoulders, and Emilia placed her cheek on top of his soft head, smelling his blonde hair and delighting in his earthy fragrance as it mixed with the aroma of oil paints and raw canvas.
The environment was ideal for the kind of exploration that they were doing of each other. Then, Emilia warm felt as Simon’s hungry kiss came to her breasts, first one and then the other. Although there was fabric that created a barrier, the intensity of the feeling was still enough to make Emilia cry out in ecstasy.
“Yes,” Emilia said, willing Simon to go further.
Finally, Simon brought his face back up to hers and kissed her mouth, as if pleading with her. Emilia allowed him to have all that he wished for and more. There was no way that she could stop him nor did she want to. It was all too delicious to prevent.
Simon held onto her back tightly, relentlessly, as Emilia still clung to the back of his head.
“This is like torture,” Simon said, briefly pulling away. Emilia didn’t find it to be torture but utter ecstasy, so she couldn’t imagine why Simon would say such a thing. Looking into his eyes, his jaw knit, Emilia could tell that Simon was tortured because he wished to go further; further than Emilia could possibly understand.
A wave of fear came over her as she realized that if Simon wished for all of those things and more right then and there, she wasn’t sure that she could refuse. And what’s more, she trusted Simon, deeply and completely. Thoughts of the forgery vanished. Even notions of the plan. All that there was at that moment were Simon and Emilia, desperately clinging to one another.
“We can stop,” Emilia said softly, bringing a hand to his cheek, thinking that this might placate him. Instead of responding with words, Simon thrust his hips forward, giving Emilia a delicious feeling of his hardness once more. It was his way of saying that he could not possibly stop. They had come too far. “I don’t know what to do.”
Simon leaned in and brought his mouth to her ear and whispered gently. “I do.”
“Simon,” she said again, enraptured by the feeling of his breath upon her ear.
“Say my name once more,” he said, and Emilia could tell that a smile had come to his lips.
“Simon,” she uttered with a smile.
“Once more, in my ear,” he whispered.
Emilia brought her lips around to Simon’s ear and did as she was told. “Simon,” she said seductively.
That must have been the final straw, for upon hearing this, Simon reached down and grabbed her bottom firmly, kissing her on the lips hungrily. Emilia moaned and brought her hands down, around Simon’s wide back. As she did so, she could feel the large muscles that resided there. Clutching her bottom in his hands, Simon pulled her hips upward into his own, and there was that familiar sensation yet again.
The feeling was now too intense for Emilia to bear, and so she dug her fingernails into Simon’s back, more out of desire than anything else. Responding to this, Simon picked Emilia up once more and began to walk, seemingly without his sight. She knew not where they were going, but the kiss continued, only gaining in intensity with each moment.
“The things I wish to do to you when you make those sounds,” Simon said, his voice strangled and hoarse.
“I’m not doing it on purpose,” Emilia assured him, and it was the truth. Little, desperate sounds were coming out with each new touch, and these sounds were unfamiliar and not sounding of her own voice.
“I don’t want you to stop,” Simon replied, his voice still desperate.
“Then, I won’t,” Emilia replied.
The moisture between her legs had intensified, and Emilia wondered if it would ever stop. Did Simon know of it? Could he tell? Should Emilia be embarrassed? From the way that she was feeling at that moment, Emilia thought that she would be comfortable revealing every last inch of herself to Simon. She could trust him with her every limb.
The next thing Emilia knew, Simon fell back onto the couch, and Emilia went with him, landing upon his large chest.
Chapter 15
Emilia was lying on top of him, and Simon didn’t want to let go. He was unsure if he could stop himself from going as far as he wished to go. He was holding all of her in his arms, and it felt like that was where she belonged till the end of eternity.
Emilia’s legs were to the sides of his hips, and Simon couldn’t prevent himself from reaching down under her skirt, taking her slim legs into his hands. Her flesh was soft and smooth, and Simon felt a growl in his throat.
All sorts of images were collecting in his brain; Emilia sitting up on top of him, her chest bear, writhing in pleasure. Her hair falling down onto her shoulders, cheeks flushed. Simon wished to have every inch of himself inside of her. He hoped that Emilia felt the same intense desire that was coursing through his entire body, making him harder than he’d ever experienced before. The erectness of his manhood was nearly uncomfortable from the urgency.
As Simon grasped her legs, he heard Emilia moan in pleasure, and he wanted to hear more. He could listen to that delicious sound for ages. Emilia grasped his chest, as though she were holding on for dear life. Simon delighted in the feeling of her hands there, and he wished that he might remove his shirt and waistcoat so that he could feel her hands upon his naked flesh.
The muscles of his chest were tensing under her hands. She looked down at his chest in admiration and what se
emed like longing, and this filled Simon with a tremendous sense of pride and ownership. Emilia was not his; she was not his true fiancée, but at that moment, he would pretend that she was his and could never be had by another. He would protect her and make her feel loved in every moment, if only she would give herself to him.
Not content to merely feel her legs, Simon’s hands inched up her thighs, delighting in the curvature. Although he knew that it was going too far, Simon couldn’t prevent himself from feeling her soft, warm inner thighs, then all the way up to the apex of her thighs which was an area that he wished to explore thoroughly.
Just as soon as his gentle fingers reached this place, he could feel the hot dampness, and it sent a violent need throughout his body that made Simon dizzy and disoriented. Yes, Emilia must be feeling the same intense desire that he was for this to occur. He was not pushing her any further than she wished to go. Emilia was primed and ready, and there was nothing else in the world that Simon desired to do other than to carry out their lovemaking fully.
He could have turned her onto her back then and there, undressed her, and proceeded with the heady business, but instead, Simon wished to linger there with his fingers over her soft mound of skin, listening as she cried out his name and collapsed her head onto his chest.
Not content to have a dainty piece of fabric between his fingers and Emilia’s most sensitive area, Simon slid his fingers over the top of her undergarment and then down across her flesh, feeling the soft tufts of hair that were there. Emilia cried out yet again, and Simon’s jaw fell open, wrapping the warmth and dampness around his fingers and feeling as Emilia began to writhe her hips to the rhythm of his fingers.
Once his fingers were inside her folds, Simon wished to press them all the way, but thought that to do so might in some way cause Emilia pain. It troubled him for a moment; how small she was. Should they continue with their business and carry it to the very end, Simon would be regretful if Emilia were to experience any kind of discomfort.
He only wished her to feel the same immaculate pleasure that he was experiencing. Simon gently rubbed between Emilia’s legs, slowly up and down, looking at her beautiful face the entire time and smiling as he saw her rapture. Her body was incredibly receptive to him, and this gave Simon satisfaction to no end.
“Simon,” she said, as though her body were about to give out. Every time that she said his name, Simon swelled with pride and passion. He was giving Emilia pleasure; it was all too apparent. There was nothing that pleased him so much as that.
Yet still, Simon’s body required him to go even further. Regrettably removing his hand from her dainty undershorts, Simon grasped the sides of Emilia’s hips, positioning her so that she was sitting just atop his manhood, which now was crying out for action. He could see the shock on Emilia’s face as she felt him fully. Was she to be intimidated? How could Simon proceed without her feeling even a moment’s fear? But then, he felt Emilia’s hips yet again sway on top of him, and he knew that her desire matched his own. This confirmation only added to Simon’s need.
“Emilia,” he groaned, the imagination again returning of her fully unclothed, sitting atop him and taking him fully in. Emilia crashed her chest upon Simon’s, allowing her hips to do all the work while she clung to him. There was no stopping now. They had gone as far as they could before true action was required. Simon reached under Emilia’s skirt once more, wishing to remove her undershorts.
To fully unclothe her was ideal, but Simon feared that the urgency was too great, and he could wait no longer. This was the moment where Emilia would truly become his; mind, soul, and body. As he was reaching down and beginning to pull, his heart was pounding perilously in his chest, and sweat was collecting upon his brow. That was when he heard Emilia gasp, but not in a way that he had heard before. Had he frightened her?
Simon realized that he had perhaps crossed the line. He knew that he should not have gone so far, but his body would not let him quit. Had he offended Emilia in any way, Simon would do his best to comfort her and apologize. Yet still, making apologies would be difficult. How could he regret something that had given him so much pleasure? Emilia must have felt the same way. He could feel it with his hands. Her body did not lie, and it spoke to him loudly.
“Is everything all right?” Simon asked, concern in his voice.
“Yes, I . . . I apologize,” Emilia said, bringing her hand to her cheek. Simon reached up his own hand to cover hers with his.
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Simon said.
“I merely, perhaps, became overwhelmed?”
“Come here,” Simon said, pulling her down so that he could give her a tender kiss. As he did so, Simon felt every muscle in Emilia’s body soften, and she gave herself over to him once more. Simon held her back and gently rubbed it as he kissed her. “I fear that I went too far,” he finally said.
“It was not your fault.”
“I didn’t know how to stop myself.”
“You did not make me uncomfortable,” Emilia assured him, and that was when Simon felt the tension leave his body. As long as Emilia didn’t feel a moment’s discomfort, he was quite content to stop whenever she needed to.
“Please, always speak the truth to me,” Simon went on. “I will never do anything to harm you.”
“I did not feel as though you were trying to harm me,” Emilia replied with a delicious, mischievous smile upon her lips. Simon felt a growl in his chest once more and brought his arms fully around Emilia, pulling her up higher onto his chest so that her head was rested on his shoulder.
Regrettably, Emilia’s hair was still pinned up, and he wished to unpin her curls one-by-one so that he might be cascaded in it. He greatly looked forward to the day when Emilia would be in his arms, her hair down, her body unclothed. There were so many barriers on her; gown, coiffure, undergarments. Simon wished to remove all of these barriers. In good time.
“You’re so beautiful, Emilia,” Simon whispered into her ear and felt Emilia squirm on top of him, as though his breath had tickled her ear. It made him laugh. Simon liked to see her squirm and had the mind to continue tickling her, holding her on top of him and not letting her escape. But something in him shifted, as though he was finally coming back to his senses, and remorse finally took over.
“Thank you,” Emilia replied.
“I must confess,” Simon went on. “I think that I lost myself just then. I feel a strong need for you, Emilia. Stronger than I’ve ever known. But you’re a woman of not only tremendous beauty, but also substance, character, and integrity. These were the things that I forgot, and I fear I was too at liberty.”
“You do not need to apologize, either,” Emilia assured him, bringing her head up to look into his eyes. She placed a gentle hand upon his chest, and Simon swelled with pride. “I admit that I got rather carried away, myself. Then we reached a point where I didn’t know how to proceed.”
“I understand,” Simon said, and then the business turned rather serious for him. He, himself, knew all about the events that take place in the bedchamber, but Emilia did not. It leant a responsibility to the situation that Simon had not fully comprehended before. She was entirely in his hands, if she ever did wish to proceed, and Simon would need to handle her with care. “Your honour means a great deal to me,” Simon went on.
“I fear that I’ve already pushed the bounds of my honour further than it should go. But as you said, it was as though I lost all sense or reason. I feel . . . safe with you.”
Simon couldn’t help smiling from ear to ear. Yes, that was precisely what he wished to hear. Emilia trusted him. She felt safe within his arms. Were that the truth, she could remain there for as long as she wished. Simon would never let her go, and would never allow her to feel a moment’s fear.
Yet again, the realization that Simon was being carried away returned. Emilia was not his fiancée, but clutching her in the way that he was it did feel as though she were the only woman in the world for him. How utterly conf
using. Was this love? Or merely a heady lust that took over his whole person? Seeing as Simon could not tell from whence his strong emotions were coming from, he felt the need to fully respect Emilia’s honour until he knew for sure what he was experiencing.
The Wild Passion of an Eccentric Lady: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 17