by Anna Bradley
Her eyes must have gone wide, because he let out a strained chuckle. “Don’t worry, love. I have no intention of disgracing myself tonight.”
“Disgracing yourself?” Thea’s brows drew into a frown. “Why should you think—?”
She didn’t get any further, because he grabbed her by the waist, tossed her onto her back on the bed, and pushed one leg between hers, urging them apart. “Never mind. I’ll explain later. But now . . .”
He took her lips hungrily, his tongue darting in to taste every corner of her mouth before he kissed his way down her throat to the hollow between her breasts. “God, you smell delicious right here.”
He sucked at her until she was moaning and clutching at his hair, then he slid his hand from her hip up her ribcage to cup her breast. “I want to taste you again. Here.” He stroked a thumb over her nipple, his touch light but relentless, a look of fierce satisfaction on his face as it stiffened for him. “Do you want that? Do you want me to suck on you here?”
An incoherent moan left Thea’s throat, but that seemed to be enough for Ethan. He teased her with the tip of his tongue, licking at her until she was ready to scream, then he sucked her nipple into his hot mouth, nibbling and pulling until she was gasping beneath him, and the hard peak was visible beneath the wet muslin of her shift.
He was breathing hard when he finally pulled away. “Such a pretty pink.” He leaned over to kiss her other nipple. “I knew they’d be pink. Are you pink all over, sweetheart?” He reached down to the hem of her shift, and with one quick tug pulled it over her head so she was bare before him.
“Oh, Thea.” His hand shook as he caressed her belly. “So beautiful, love, every inch of you.” He kissed her lips tenderly, and Thea sighed into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
He pressed his lips to her ear. “Are you wet for me?” His hand slid down her belly until he tangled his fingers in the damp curls between her legs. “Let me feel you.”
He groaned when Thea opened her legs in answer, and his hand drifted lower to stroke her center. “God, yes. So wet, love.” He pinned her thigh to the bed to keep her open to him, and grazed his thumb over that tight knot of flesh begging for his touch.
“Oh . . .” Thea’s neck arched and her hips jerked as he did it again, and then again, his breath catching in a quiet moan every time she cried out.
He stroked and teased her until she was panting, then he sank one long finger into her and thrust gently, making her gasp at the sudden, strange fullness between her legs.
“Do you want me?” He urged his hard, hot cock against her hip. “Do you want me inside you?”
“Yes. Please, Ethan. Now.” Thea sunk her nails into his back and tried to drag him over her. He let out a desperate groan, then latched onto her nipple again as he thrust a second finger inside her, pumping both into her in a steady rhythm until Thea was arching off the bed.
And then he was there, his lean hips between her legs, his hard cock nudging at her entrance. “Stay still, sweet. I want you so much, but I don’t want to hurt you.” He dropped a sweet kiss on her lips, then grasped her hips and held her steady
Thea let out a faint cry, surprised at the quick, sharp sting as he pushed into her with one powerful stroke. She stiffened instinctively, but he didn’t move, and after a few moments the ache faded, and her body eased around him.
Ethan was still frozen above her, his neck straining and beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he struggled to hold back. “I’m sorry, love.” He leaned down to take her mouth again, his lips tender.
“Shhh.” She cupped his face in her hand and stroked her thumb over his cheekbone. “It’s all right.” It had hurt a bit, but the pain was already fading, and it was nothing compared to the joy of being this close to him.
He reached down to stroke her again, his fingers careful but insistent between her legs, and after a moment her body began to relax. When she grew accustomed to the feel of him inside her she gave a tiny, experimental thrust with her hips.
Ethan groaned and pushed his hips forward, as if he couldn’t help himself, but in the next instant he stilled, waiting for a sign from her. “Thea?”
“I want you, Ethan.” She moved her hips against his again, and it felt even better this time.
He let out a shaky laugh. “Thank God.”
He began to move inside her, slowly at first, his hand still stroking between her legs. The sensation of his fingers moving over her tender bud while his hard length filled her dragged a moan from Thea’s lips, and Ethan quickened his thrusts, but she could sense he was still holding back, afraid of hurting her.
She wrapped her legs around his hips and leveraged herself up to bite his neck. “I want all of you. Now, Ethan.”
“Ah, God. Thea.” He threw his head back with a groan, and then he went wild, his hips hard against hers as he drove into her again and again. “Come for me, sweetheart.” He brushed the damp hair away from her face and then crushed her lips under his own.
It might have been his kiss, or his fingers still working between her legs, or the delicious friction of him thrusting inside her, but without warning her hips were rising to meet Ethan’s, sending her higher and higher until the astonishing pleasure took her again, and she tipped over the edge with a breathless scream.
Ethan tensed above her, going still for a breath before he threw his head back with a hoarse cry and followed her over the edge, his body rigid with his release, and her name on his lips.
Chapter Ten
January 3, 6:00 a.m.
“Wake up, sweetheart.” Ethan kissed Thea’s temple, then buried his face in her hair, a low groan escaping him at her delicious scent. Sugar and vanilla, a hint of apple, and something else, something new that made his cock jerk with need.
Him.
He wanted her again. He’d lain awake for what was left of the night after Thea fell asleep, struggling against the need to bury his face between her legs until she woke so he could take her, but she’d looked so beautiful and peaceful with her dark lashes resting against her cheeks he hadn’t been able to bring himself to disturb her.
And after all, they had a lifetime of mornings ahead of them.
“Your bath will get cold, love.” He nuzzled her neck until she stirred with a protesting groan.
“Bath? Oh, that sounds heavenly.” She pressed a sleepy kiss to his bare chest, but in the next moment her body stiffened and she shot up straight in the bed. “You ordered me a bath? But the servants will have seen me in your bed! Becky and Peter can’t know—”
“Shhh.” He tilted her face up to his and brushed the tangled locks of dark hair back from her forehead. “They didn’t see you. I had them light the fire in the sitting room and bring the bath there.” He waved a hand at the connecting door between the rooms, which was closed. “Becky has orders not to disturb you this morning.” He grinned down at her. “I told her you were up late last night, baking.”
A shy smile drifted over her lips. “Baking? What a shameless falsehood.”
“Well, there was a great deal of heat involved, and I remembering tasting something sweet.” He eased her back down on the bed, onto her back, and pressed his open mouth to the soft skin between her breasts. “Ah, yes, here it is. Delicious.”
He licked and sucked at her until they were both breathless, but then he pulled away with a groan, threw back the covers, and dragged himself from the bed.
“Ethan!” She squealed with surprise when he swept her up into his arms. “What are you doing?”
“Showing incredible restraint.” If they didn’t get up now, he’d keep her in his bed all day, and there’d be no explaining that to the servants.
She gave him a teasing frown. “Now you decide to show restraint?”
He wanted to kiss that pout right off her lips. “Rather late, isn’t it?” He carried her acr
oss the room and through the connecting door. “But you did say you wanted a hot bath.”
He set her down on her feet, but she clung to his neck, pressed her body close against his, and nipped his earlobe before whispering in his ear, “I want more than just a bath.”
A pained groan left Ethan’s lips. He’d loved her hard last night, and he’d meant to leave her alone to recover this morning, but she was flushed, and all creamy skin and pink lips and nipples, and his resistance crumbled.
He stepped into the tub, stretched out, and then held out a hand for her. “Come down on top of me.”
His voice was rougher than he’d intended, but Thea didn’t hesitate. She stepped into the tub so she was standing over him, her feet between his knees.
Dear God, he was going to explode before she even touched him. He ran slick hands up the backs of her legs and lifted each dainty foot into place above his hips. “Sink down,” he whispered, and wrapped his hands around her waist to steady her.
She lowered herself so she was straddling him, and Ethan sucked in a sharp breath when her hot center brushed against his cock.
Despite her innocence, Thea seemed to know instinctively how to give them both pleasure. Her green eyes burned as she settled her hands on his shoulders and began to move her hips back and forth in a slow, sensuous rhythm.
Ethan hissed. “Jesus. You feel so good.” He buried one rough hand in her hair, gripped her lower back with the other, then leaned forward and caught a nipple between his teeth, biting down gently.
Thea caught her breath and jerked in his arms. “Ah, Ethan.”
Christ, it made him wild to hear his name so breathless on her lips. He bit her nipple to hear her gasp again, then reached down, grasped his cock in his hand and dragged his tip across the tender bud hidden between her folds. “Tell me you want this.”
Thea’s head fell back with a soft cry. “I—I want it. I want you.”
He growled, his hand tightening in her hair. He pushed the head slowly inside her, then stopped, clenching his teeth for control. “Tell me you want all of me.”
Thea gasped and squirmed over him, trying to take him deeper. “I—I want all of you.”
Ethan groaned, then eased in another inch. “You’re mine, Thea.” He moved his hand between her legs and circled his thumb slowly around her, but lightly, only enough to tease her. “Tell me you’re mine.”
Thea let out a sob and her thighs tightened around his hips. “I’m yours. Please, Ethan.”
Her fingernails bit into his neck, and the little sting of pain shattered Ethan’s control. He gripped her hips and pulled her down onto him as he thrust upward, pushing all the way inside her with one fierce stroke.
Thea froze, and then in the next breath, before he could move again, she was coming. The delicious pressure of her body squeezed his aching cock, and he thrust wildly into her, his breath ragged as he was hurled headlong into ecstasy.
* * * *
“I don’t want to go with you!” Martha stuck out her bottom lip and gave Ethan such a fierce glower he was glad she didn’t have a pitcher of milk in her hand.
A pitcher of milk, or a pistol.
He’d taken the children out for a long walk on the grounds, but he’d decided against any shooting for today. Half of him was still up in bed with Thea—the mental half of him, alas—and three young children and a distracted earl playing about with a loaded pistol seemed a rather bad idea.
Henry and George had decided days ago they’d been all wrong about his lordship, who was a right decent swell, after all, and now they swung along beside him, engaged in a cheerful squabble over whether French or English pistols were more “gentleman-like.”
Martha, however, was a different matter. Her wary gaze was fixed on him, watching his every move as if he were no more trustworthy than a rabid dog.
“I don’t want to go with you!” she repeated, louder this time.
Ah, well. The ladies were always the hardest to win over.
Ethan chose not to point out to Martha that her brothers had gone out with him for the past three days and hadn’t come to any harm. He didn’t know much about six-year-old children, but he suspected they weren’t impressed by logical argument.
“I want Miss Sheridan!” Martha glared at him, and stamped her foot.
Ethan sighed. “I told you, Martha. Miss Sheridan is fatigued and needs to rest. You don’t wish her to become ill, do you?”
“She weren’t ill yesterday.” Martha eyed him suspiciously. “I don’t believe you. What have ye really done with ’er?”
Quite a lot, as it happened, and if he had his way he’d still be doing it right now, and more too, but he doubted Martha would find any of that information reassuring. He raised an eyebrow at the child. “You sound as if you’re accusing me of something, Martha. What do you suppose I’ve done with her? Locked her in a cupboard for the afternoon?”
Martha’s mouth fell open, and tears filled her eyes.
Damnation. The child thought he had locked Thea in a cupboard. “Martha, I was only jesting—”
“Stop yer carrying on, Martha,” George ordered. “Yer acting like a baby.”
“A peahen, more like.” Henry pointed his finger at Martha and shook it threateningly. “Maybe ’is lordship should lock you in a cupboard.”
“No one is getting locked in a cupboard, Henry,” Ethan began, but Martha cut him off with an outraged shriek.
“Ye’re the peahen, Henry! An’ you too, George! That lordship,” she pointed an accusing finger at Ethan. “He said ’e was going to shut down the house, and he knew Miss Sheridan wouldn’t let him do it, so ’e tossed her in a cupboard and locked her in an’ he’s going to leave her there and close up the house around her, and she’ll have no one to let her out and she’ll be scared and alone in the dark and then she’ll starve an’ years later they’ll find ’er, but ’er skin will have all fallen off by then and she’ll be nothing but bones an’ fingernails and long, gray hair, and it’ll be all ye’re fault, ye bad, bad boys!”
Henry, George, and Ethan stood silently, their mouths open, blinking at her.
Martha stared back at them with wide eyes, then she sucked in a hiccupping breath, and burst into tears.
“That were a good story,” Henry said, heedless of his sister’s distress. “’Specially the part about the fingernails and the skin falling off.”
“And the bones, too. I like stories ’bout bones. But ye know, Henry, Martha’s right. His lordship did say ’e was going to shut down the house.” He gave Ethan a considering look. “Dinnit ye?”
All three children turned questioning black eyes on him.
“I did say that, when I first arrived, but that was before . . . that is, since then I’ve changed my mind. I don’t intend to close down the house, after all.”
The children were quiet for a moment as they considered that, then George spoke up. “’An ye’re going to live ’ere, with Miss Sheridan? Or are ye going back to London?”
Ethan’s brows drew into a frown as he fumbled for a reply. “I’m going to stay here at Cleves Court, with Miss Sheridan.”
“But . . .” Henry frowned. “Ye can’t stay ’ere with Miss Sheridan alone in the house. That’s not proper-like, is it, George?”
“Well, it’s a big house, innit?” George gave Ethan an uncertain look. “But I don’t think it’s proper, not unless ’is lordship marries Miss Sheridan. Ye’re going to marry ’er, aren’t ye?”
For God’s sake. It was a bloody inquisition. Next he’d be asking George and Henry for their permission to marry Thea. He opened his mouth to reassure them, but before he could say a word, Henry interrupted him.
“’Course ’e is. He loves ’er, don’t he?”
“Sure, ’e does.” George spoke with utter confidence. “He’s loved her since ’e knocked ’er from the tree. Maybe
before then.”
Ethan stared at them. Devil take it. How did children always know everything?
“Don’t know why ye’d want to get married, yer lordship.” Henry gave him a curious look, then shrugged. “Peter says women are nothing but fuss an’ bother, but then Miss Sheridan’s a good sort, innit she? If ye have to marry, ye may as well marry Miss Sheridan.”
“I may as well, yes.” A reluctant smile twitched at Ethan’s lips as he looked at them. They were dreadful children, of course—three little fiends, especially Martha—but he couldn’t deny they loved Thea just as much as he did.
“Hurrah!” Henry, overcome with sudden glee, leapt upon his brother’s back for a celebratory wrestle. “His lordship’s staying, ’an we get to shoot the pistol again!”
“That’s bloody good news, that is!” George threw Henry to the ground with a mighty heave, and jumped on top of him. “I told ye Miss Sheridan would bring ’is lordship ’round.”
Ethan was trying to reassure Martha, who’d begun wailing in earnest over his impending betrothal to her beloved Miss Sheridan, but he stilled at George’s words. “Bring me around? What do you mean, George?”
George was bouncing up and down on Henry’s back, but he looked up at Ethan with a grin. “She said she’d make ye see reason, no matter what, and I guess she did, ’cause now we get to have you an’ Miss Sheridan, and that’s capital, that is.”
“Capital!” Henry shook off George, who’d been smashing his face into the ground, and added, “Miss Sheridan said she’d never let ye close the house—she said she’d do whatever it took to keep ye from doing it, and she’s right stubborn, innit she, once she sets her mind to a thing.”
Whatever it took.
And if it took pretending a love she didn’t feel?
No. Not that. Thea would never do such a hurtful thing. She’d never use him that way . . .
But the doubts that lurked in the dark corners of his mind had been awakened, and now they began to circle, ready to sink their claws into him.
She loved this house.