by Meghan Sloan
The horses nickered behind them, curious, but they ignored them. They were drowning in each other’s gaze again, and the promise of all that was to come. The fruition of their love that nothing and nobody could ever tear apart.
Epilogue
Two months later
Alice yawned before opening the shutters. Golden sunshine streamed through the window, and the sky was an azure blue, so blue that she felt like she could dive into it. A narrow cobblestone street, with tall, thin houses. If she leant out, just a little, she could just see a strip of pebbled beach in the distance.
She sighed with pure and utter joy. Nice, in the south of France. They had arrived only this morning after two days of travel. The first complete day of their honeymoon. Eight glorious days that stretched before them like a dream.
She glanced back at Silas, who was sitting on the bed, taking off his shoes with a weary sigh. She smiled. Her husband, at long last. The memory of their wedding day was still so vivid in her mind. The tiny bluestone church, in the countryside. His eyes on her as she had walked up the aisle towards him. And then the moment when they had finally exchanged their vows, becoming one.
She had thought the day would never come, and now they truly were man and wife.
“Come here, my love,” said her new husband.
Her smile widened, walking to him and taking his outstretched hand. He pulled her down onto the bed with him, kissing her passionately.
“At last,” he whispered, stroking her hair, with gleaming eyes. “We are married and alone.” His green eyes darkened with desire. “I have been dreaming so long of this moment, when you will finally become mine.”
She shivered with apprehension as well as longing. They had left for their honeymoon so quickly that they had not had a chance yet to consummate their marriage. But she had a feeling that was all about to change, right now.
“I am still a little stunned about Nicholas and Charlotte’s announcement,” she said quickly, to buy some time, as her nerves threatened to overtake her. “What do you truly think of their engagement? I cannot help but worry, just a little.”
Silas smiled, still stroking her hair. “I understand your concerns,” he said softly. “Nicholas does have quite a reputation with the ladies. But he assured me that is in the past now. He loves Charlotte and is committed to her.”
Alice shook her head in disbelief. “I never saw it coming,” she said. “Charlotte always maintained he was like an older brother to her. It is quite unexpected. A whirlwind romance.” She paused. “I have never seen Charlotte so happy, though. She is almost dizzy with it, which is quite unlike her.”
“Love changes people,” he whispered, running a finger down her face. “It can happen in the most unexpected of ways. It has a life of its own.”
Alice sighed deeply. “I didn’t tell you,” she said in a quiet voice. “But I spoke to someone at the wedding who mentioned Marina.”
The name hung in the air between them for a moment.
“What of her?” he asked, without a flicker of emotion.
“Apparently, she is running around again,” she said in as steady a voice as she could muster. “There are rumours that she is associating with some disreputable men.” She paused. “She has not changed, Silas. Not even in the wake of all the damage that she did.”
Silas nodded slowly. “It does not surprise me in the least. She never admitted any wrongdoing, and personally, I believe that she is highly skilled at even deluding herself. She does not have the insight, or the will, to change her character.” He hesitated. “It has nothing to do with us anymore, Alice. As long as she leaves us alone, I simply do not care.”
Alice nodded, burying her face into his chest. She hadn’t wanted to mention Marina, but something had compelled her. Maybe it was a final test, to see his reaction, to gauge whether there was still any emotion in him when she was spoken of. She trembled slightly with relief. Her new husband had passed that test with flying colours.
Marina was finally where she belonged. In the past.
“Alice,” Silas whispered, picking up her hand and kissing the palm. “This is our honeymoon, and there are things that need to be done.”
She shuddered, taking a deep breath. The moment could not be delayed any longer. She only hoped it would not hurt as much as she had heard it might.
Without another word he undressed her, taking his time until she was completely naked, in his arms. His eyes darkened as they swept over her body from head to toe. She couldn’t stop blushing. She had never felt so vulnerable in her life.
“You are exquisite,” he breathed. “Even more beautiful than I imagined.”
She drank in his words, glorying in them. Within seconds he had shed his own clothes, almost tearing them off. She gasped as she saw her husband in the flesh for the very first time. He was powerfully built, sinewy, with a matting of dark hair on his chest. Her eyes widened as they lingered on his manhood, which was standing proudly erect.
“Do not be afraid, my love,” he breathed, caressing her breasts so that she gasped with delight. “I will be as gentle as I can.”
He pushed her back on the bed, suckling her breasts passionately as his hand gently prised apart her legs, caressing her most private area. She felt a hot gush of wetness and she arched her back, moaning with ecstasy.
The familiar sensations were building now, intensified by the feeling of his mouth suckling on her nipple. Gently, he stroked her hot flesh down there, guiding her as she started to climb to the very heights. She was so very close.
But suddenly, he pulled back, gazing at her intently. Without a word, he gently spread her legs wide open, so that she was spread-eagled before him. He groaned as his eyes took in the sight before quickly climbing on top of her and settling himself between her legs. She felt his manhood jabbing at her most intimate area before he slid into her, with a groan of deep satisfaction.
There was a momentary flash of pain. She gasped as he started to move within her, slowly at first, then with an urgency that she could barely fathom. The dizzying sensations that had been interrupted started anew, only this time they were more intense with the feeling of him moving inside her. She tossed her head from side-to-side, barely able to stand the sweetness of it.
His pace quickened and instinctively she arched her hips to meet his thrusts. He seemed to like that very much. His face contorted in an agony of pure desire. He gripped her hips, pushing her up to meet him, as sweat covered his face.
“You are so sweet,” he whispered, his eyes shining. “So very sweet…I cannot wait, a minute longer, my love…”
Suddenly, he spasmed, twisting above her. He cried out in his moment of passion. The sight of him and her own arousal abruptly peaked within her, and her own release flooded through her, so powerful that she screamed, tossing her head from side-to-side.
They both twisted together, wringing out the final moments of their passion. Panting, they lay in each other’s arms, completely spent. She felt as limp as a wet rag, thoroughly exhausted, but the afterglow of their love felt like an aura around them.
She had wondered so much about this moment, fearful as well as eager. She knew now she should never have worried. What Silas had just done to her was so powerful, a natural extension of everything they had done together prior. And while it had briefly hurt, that had been nothing compared with the pleasure they had shared.
“I had no idea,” she whispered, feeling tears spring into her eyes. “It was so beautiful…a hundred times more powerful than when you have touched me before.”
He smiled gently. “I told you that there was much more to come,” he whispered. “I am so happy that you enjoyed it so much, my love.”
She was silent for a moment, contemplating it. “Can we do it again?”
He burst out laughing, gripping her tightly in his arms. “We must wait a little while. But yes, we can stay in this bed all day if you want, my Alice. In fact, I think that is just what the doctor ordered for the first day o
f our honeymoon.”
She sighed with contentment, nestling into his arms, watching the sunlight stream through the window.
Everything had worked out in the end. He loved her deeply, just as she loved him. The past was gone forever. And now the glorious future awaited them. And at this moment, that future was this bed, and this room, with a man who worshipped her body, and the promise of so much more love to come.
She could barely wait.
THE END
Can't get enough of Alice and Silas? Then make sure to check out the Extended Epilogue to find out…
Will Alice and Silas have the life they’ve always dreamed of?
How will life treat Nicholas and Charlotte? What is the big event that they’re getting prepared for?
What kind of surprise will Alice hold for Silas? How is this going to change their lives once and for all?
Click the link or enter it into your browser
http://meghansloan.com/alice
(Turn the page to read “Lusting for the Duke's Kiss”, my Amazon Best-Selling novel!)
Lusting for the Duke's Kiss
Introduction
Henrietta Arnold could have never imagined how easily her happiness would turn into disaster. When her husband deserts her a few hours after their wedding, her world is shuttered in a million pieces. Feeling completely humiliated and disgraced, she vows to seal her heart and never let a man hurt her again. But little did she know that she would soon find herself surrendering a Duke’s loving arms… Will her undeniable desire for him end up destroying her life once again?
Being the Duke of Warwick, Louis Montague is a wickedly handsome man who never bothered himself with foolish love stories. Even though his first encounter with Henrietta made his heart shiver, destiny wanted them to be apart until many years later... The moment he discovers the devastating fate of her marriage, the sparks inside him cannot be denied. While his passion for her flares inside him, he becomes more than determined to possess her. Will he ever convince her that he is an honorable man who would not settle for something less than true love?
As Henrietta tries to lay aside any doubts for a second chance at love, Louis holds a long buried secret that looms over their heads threatening to drive them apart once and for all. Will their passionate affair survive the exhausting battle with the ghosts of their past? Or will their delicate hearts be forever trapped in a vast net of secrets?
Chapter 1
She walked to the window, staring out at the unfamiliar garden. This was supposed to be her home. And now, there was no telling what was going to happen.
Breathe, Hetty, she told herself, as panic began to rise in her breast, once again. Just breathe.
But it was becoming increasingly difficult to know how to do that most basic of functions. Ever since she had awoken this morning to find that her husband of less than twenty-four hours had abandoned her.
She walked back to the desk, where the hastily scrawled note was still lying. She had found it this morning when she had awoken. Frank had insisted last night when they had retired, that they stay in separate rooms. Just for the night, he had told her, his blue eyes creased with concern. She was tired after their wedding and would appreciate a good night’s sleep by herself. She had not argued with him, being nervous about her wedding night and all that it would entail. She had felt as if she were being given a reprieve that she had never expected.
She picked up the note, staring down at it, her eyes skimming over it without taking in a word. He must have stolen into her chambers, either last night after she was asleep, or early this morning, and left it there. She had not heard him.
I am supposed to be a newly married woman, she thought, in wonder. The start of her married life, as Mrs Henrietta Blackmore. A new woman. She had thought that she was leaving Miss Henrietta Arnold behind, forever. And now, everything had been turned upside down, and she was reeling.
Focus, she told herself fiercely. Read it again. Perhaps it is not as bad as you think.
Taking a deep, ragged breath, she focused on the black ink, trying to turn it into words, rather than meaningless hieroglyphics. Frank’s hand was not easy to read at the best of times, and this was the worst of them.
My Dear Hetty,
Sorry that I wasn’t able to tell you this in person. I have discovered that I have changed my mind about being married. I simply cannot do it. I have grappled with a growing unease about our nuptials for months now but felt I was in too deep to back out of the arrangements.
Now, the reality of what we have done has sunk in, and I cannot keep on this path. I wish you the very best for the future. I truly do.
Frank
Her eyes blurred with tears as a fresh surge of pain stabbed at her heart. In fury, she screwed up the note, throwing it into the fire. She watched the parchment curling, blackening until it disappeared into ashes. She sank to the floor, the skirt of her gown spilling out around her, putting her face into her hands, as a low moan of pain forced its way out of her throat.
How could he have done this to me?
Desperately, she grappled to make sense of the situation. Frank Blackmore had given no indication of cold feet, despite what he said in the note. He had been an attentive, polite suitor. There had been no passion between them, but Hetty had not been raised to expect that, anyway. All that she had wanted was a good husband who would take care of her.
Frank had seemed to tick every box in that regard. He was moderately wealthy, charming, and pragmatic. He had purchased a new townhouse for them, in the village of Derrington, in her home county of Wiltshire. It wasn’t that far from the country estate where she had been raised.
Hetty shuddered, her hands slowly falling away from her face, as she gazed around the room. The furniture, all newly purchased, for their life together. This was not a room she was familiar with at all. She had only been through the house once, before her wedding day, and Frank had dragged her quickly through it. It wasn’t her home. Not yet. And now, she was all alone here amongst strangers. She wasn’t even familiar with the servants, yet.
I am abandoned. I am an abandoned wife. What is to become of me? The shame of it. The scandal.
Hetty jumped at a sharp rap on the chamber door. Hastily wiping away the tears with the back of her hand, she quickly stood up, taking a deep breath. Her mother had taught her that no matter the situation, no matter how heavy the heart, one must never show it, especially not to the servants.
The door opened, and Dickinson, the butler, stood there, gazing at her impassively.
“Mrs Blackmore,” he said, in a slightly gravelly voice. “There is a gentleman at the door, who says that he must speak with you urgently.” The butler handed over a white card, stepping back.
Hetty stared down at the card. Mr Joseph Baldwin, it read. Solicitor.
Her heart clenched. Why was a solicitor at her door, asking to speak to her urgently? As she followed Dickinson down the stairs, her heart thumping painfully in her chest, she had a premonition that it wasn’t about anything good.
***
Mr Joseph Baldwin was a portly man with a florid complexion and wiry white hair. Sitting on the edge of the green chaise longue in the drawing room, he balanced a cup of tea in one hand, staring at her with eagle sharp eyes.
“You are very silent, Mrs Blackmore,” he said slowly. “Have you quite understood what I have just told you?”
Hetty felt as if she were going to faint. Desperately, she dug her nails into her forearm. She simply could not believe what he had just said.
Frank had sold the townhouse. Their newly purchased house that she had only spent one night in as its mistress was no longer her home. Not that it had ever been given a chance to be one. The speed of the events – Frank’s abandonment of her, and now selling the house, without her knowledge or consent – was simply too much to take in.