“You’re the only one who’s allowed to see me without those clothes,” she replied, her voice soft. “I’ll never be with anyone but you. I promise.”
“I know.” He caressed her bottom lip with his thumb then brought his mouth to hers.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and encouraged him to deepen the kiss, which he did.
He proceeded to explore her with his hand, and all of it was just as wonderful as it’d been when he’d been kissing her breasts. He was stoking the fire he had started within her. The more he explored her, the greater the need to be consumed by it became.
When his hand settled between her legs, she lifted her hips to grant him better access to her. His touch was so gentle that she almost didn’t notice the way his fingers traced the opening of her flesh. She moaned and spread her legs further apart.
He slid a finger partly into her, and the ache only intensified. She wiggled against him so he was fully into her. She had no idea this area of her body could feel so good, and she was determined to find out just how intense the pleasure could get. She encouraged him to put another finger into her and let out a soft cry as he began stroking her core. The ache prompted her to work with him.
Giving in to the urge to move, she rocked her hips in rhythm with his thrusting. The ache continued to build up within her, and just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, her body gave way to an intense burst of pleasure that swept over her. She cried out and held onto him. Right here, at this moment, she had no other thought than how incredible she felt. Never before had she experienced anything like this. She held onto it for as long as she could, savoring each wave of pleasure as it crashed into her until the waves subsided and she was brought back to Earth.
Roger took his fingers out of her then shifted so that he was between her legs. Though she felt weak from the effects of her orgasm, she wrapped her legs around him and lifted her hips so he could enter her. There was a slight resistance, but it quickly gave way to pleasure as he pressed all the way into her. Groaning, he pulled slightly out of her and then went back in. He repeated the action again, and, when he groaned again, she groaned, too. She loved the feel of him inside her and wanted more of it.
She tightened her legs around his waist and then urged him to roll over. He held her close to him and did as she wished. She shifted on top of him, making sure to keep him inside her as she sought the angle that would afford them both the most pleasure. When she found it, she began to move.
He gripped her hips in encouragement for her to keep going. She watched him as she made love to him. Roger was in no way the shy gentleman she had become used to while he was courting her. He was meeting her gaze and giving her a wicked smile as he thrust deeper into her. She smiled in return and sped up her movements. Who knew Roger had this side to him? He wasn’t just caring and considerate; he was thoroughly exciting.
He rolled her so that she was on her back again. Then he cupped her behind in his hands and buried himself deeper into her. By this time, his thrusting was coming fast, and it thrilled her all the more. She cried out for him to keep going and then she closed her eyes as she reached the peak again. He grew taut and spilled his seed into her.
“Yes, yes,” she murmured, glad he was enjoying the heights of bliss with her. More than anything, she wanted him to experience this with her. She gripped his shoulders and pulled him closer to her.
Once they were both satisfied, he collapsed in her arms. Her head was still spinning when he kissed her. She would never have expected lovemaking to be this exhilarating. She bet it wasn’t this way with anyone else. With anyone else, it would have only been mildly pleasurable. It could only be this way with Roger.
“That was the most wonderful thing I’ve ever experienced,” she whispered.
“That’s how it is when you’re with the right person,” he replied.
He kissed her again. She was spent. She didn’t have it in her to do anything else but kiss him back, but it was just as exquisite as everything else they’d just done.
When the kiss ended, he slid out of her, brought the blankets up to them, and drew her into his arms. “Now you’re officially my wife. You belong to me.”
She smiled and snuggled up to him. “Good because I don’t want to belong to anyone else.” Then she closed her eyes, and, soon, she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Sixteen
When Lilly first woke up, she was afraid she had dreamt that Roger had come to her bedchamber last night and given her the chance to make things up to him. She hesitated to open her eyes. Ever since her wedding night, she’d woken up in this bed all alone, and she was sure such was going to be the case this morning.
But then she felt a gentle touch on her arm, and her eyes flew open. She jerked when she saw Roger lying behind her. Her surprise gave way to relief. Good. She hadn’t dreamt it. He really had come to her bedchamber and made love to her.
“Did I scare you?” he asked.
“A little,” she admitted as she turned to face him. “At first, I thought last night didn’t really happen. I thought it’d only been wishful thinking.”
“No, it really happened.” He took her hand in his and clasped it. “I meant what I said. We’re going to act like the past never took place.”
“I still wish I had accepted your proposal. We could have avoided a lot of heartache if I’d been intelligent enough to listen to my sister. She warned me that I was making a mistake when I—”
He brought his mouth to hers and silenced her with a kiss. When he lifted his head, he said, “I’d rather focus on the future, wouldn’t you?”
She offered him an apologetic smile. “Yes, I would. I just don’t think I’ll ever truly deserve you.”
“Be faithful to me and have my children. If you do that, I’ll be happy.”
“I will, Roger. I promise.”
“Then there’s nothing for you to worry about.” He glanced at her hair. He released her hand and touched the dark strands that were over her shoulder. “Do you really think you’re better looking with that blonde wig?”
“Years ago, I overheard a gentleman telling my father that blondes were more attractive.”
“You started wearing a wig because of one gentleman’s opinion?”
“Well, my mother said he was distinguished and that a lot of ladies wanted to marry him. I thought when it came time for me to have my Season, I should have every advantage I could get.” She shrugged. “Getting a blonde wig seemed like a good decision.”
“I’m not going to tell you what to wear because I think it should be your choice, but I happen to think you look better with dark hair. Regardless, you’re beautiful, and I’m glad you’re my wife.” He kissed her again and smiled. “We should do something together.”
“I thought we already were.”
“I didn’t mean this,” he replied as he gestured to the bed. “This is nice. I enjoy being here with you, but I didn’t want to be with you only to have a child. I want to be with you. You’re quite a good chess player. You beat me in that game at White’s.”
“I’ve been playing since I was a child. My father taught me the game, and it was a challenge to figure out if I could win against him. He let me win the first few times to build up my confidence, but after that, he wasn’t so lenient.”
“We should play again and see if you can win again now that I’m in a better state of mind.”
“That would be fun.” Feeling a bit playful, she said, “Want to make a wager?”
His eyebrows rose in interest. “You want to turn the game into a bet?”
“Wouldn’t it be more fun if the winner had something to gain from it?”
“It sounds intriguing, but what would we bet? It would be ridiculous to wager something like money since all you have to do is go to a shop and tell the owner to send me the bill.”
“I was thinking of the loser having to do whatever the winner wants.”
“Which could have something to do with money.”
“What money would I have to give you? My father gave you everything in my dowry.” Before he could answer, she continued, “I was thinking of a harmless wager. If I win, we could play my favorite card game. Or, if you win, we could play your favorite game.”
“My favorite game is chess.”
She chuckled. “All right. Then I’ll play your second favorite game.”
“Ah, so that’s the kind of wager you’re talking about.” He thought for a long moment. “I haven’t been fox hunting in a while. Aaron doesn’t care much for being outside, and he was one of the few people I could ever talk into going with me to the gentleman’s-only-hunting club I belong to.”
She gasped. “I can’t go fox hunting there! I’m a lady.”
“You went into White’s yesterday.”
“Yes, but I was disguised as a gentleman. No one knew I was a lady.”
“Can’t you do that again? Put on Mr. Squire’s clothes and wig and join me for the hunt?”
Her idea of playing cards was a lot different from hunting a fox. “What do you do in fox hunting?”
“Hunt foxes.”
She rolled her eyes and jabbed him in the side. “I figured that out. What I mean is, how do you hunt for a fox?”
“The hounds pick up the scent of a fox’s urine, and the hunters follow them on horseback. The goal is to find the fox. It’s a sport much like chess.”
“How much like chess can it be if the hounds do the work for you?”
He shot her an amused smile. “When we get into the trees, we get off our horse and keep going. The hounds help us to get to the hideout, but it’s up to us to find the fox. Or foxes. Sometimes there’s more than one.”
“It still seems like the hounds do most of the work.”
“Why don’t you join me and find out for yourself?” he asked.
After a moment, she said, “I will if you win the chess game.”
With a chuckle, he kissed her. “Good. That will be the wager. If I win the chess game, we’ll go fox hunting. If you win, we’ll play your card game.”
“All right, it’s a deal.” She kissed him in return.
He gave her behind a playful squeeze then got out of the bed.
Surprised, she sat up. “You want to get dressed this early?”
“It’s not early. It’s almost eight.”
“Eight is early.”
“Not if you want to eat, play a game of chess, and go fox hunting.”
She watched him as he gathered his clothes from the floor. “Are you that sure you’ll win at chess?”
“I happen to be a very good player when I’m in a good mood.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You can’t be implying that the only reason I won yesterday was because you were in a foul mood.”
“That’s exactly what I’m implying.”
Before she could respond, he shot her a wicked grin and then went to his bedchamber.
She stared after him in surprise. The whole time he was one of her suitors, he never gave her a reason to think he had a mischievous side to him. He had seemed like he didn’t do anything exciting. But this morning she was getting another perspective of him that she bet no one else was privy to.
He wasn’t such a stickler for the Ton’s rules after all. Intrigued, she hurried to get out of bed so she could learn more about him.
***
Later that day, Lilly glanced at Roger as they traveled in their carriage to a remote location outside of London. She was wearing her clothes as Mr. Squire, but the two valises Roger had insisted on bringing with them contained their clothes and grooming supplies. When she asked him why they had needed to pack, his only response had been, “I’ll let you know when the time is right.”
She turned her attention back to the window. They were approaching a large estate. It was surrounded by many trees. Her gaze went back to Roger. “I surmise we’re going to be staying here for the night since we packed some clothes.”
Roger grinned at her. “I suppose I can tell you what we’re going to do since we’re almost at Lord Browning’s estate. Lord Browning has hounds specifically trained for the hunt, and his property contains lots of good hiding places for foxes. Hunting isn’t any fun unless there’s a challenge, and there are plenty of places a fox can hide out here. I have to come here by myself most of the time. Most gentlemen I know like to stay in London.”
“I don’t mind leaving London as long as there’s something interesting to do.”
He reached out and took her hand in his. “This will be interesting. I’ve never gone fox hunting with a lady before.”
“At least not that you know of,” she replied as a smile tugged at her lips. “It’s possible there was a lady disguised as a gentleman in your hunting party and you didn’t even know it.”
“Considering how well your disguise is, I admit that I might have unknowingly joined a lady in this sport, but I know this for certain: I never kissed her.”
“I should hope not.”
“Would you be upset if I had?”
“I don’t like the idea of you kissing anyone but me.”
He squeezed her hand. “Good. I like knowing you’d be jealous if I did.”
“I would be jealous. I didn’t like seeing you with those ladies at the balls. I was afraid you’d fall in love with one of them and I’d never get to marry you.”
“You made sure that never happened when you fell on top of me at the ball.”
“Are you still upset I did that?”
He chuckled. “Not after last night.”
“Are you upset you’re married to a lady who can’t show her face in London?”
“You can go out in London without a disguise.”
“But a lot of people don’t approve of what I did.”
He shrugged. “What does it matter? They aren’t your friends or family. They’re just acquaintances.”
“Those acquaintances won’t allow me to go to their balls,” she reminded him. “It means you won’t be able to go, either, unless you leave me at home.”
“I have no intention of leaving you at home.” He leaned toward her and squeezed her hand again. “There are people who won’t mind a lady with a scandalous reputation at their balls.”
“Will your association with me hurt your business prospects? I met Lord Steinbeck while I was at White’s. I can’t imagine someone like him wanting to share investment strategies if he had a wife who is like me.”
“No, he wouldn’t, but that doesn’t matter since the gentlemen I associate with aren’t like him. The main thing they’re interested in is money and making more of it.”
She relaxed. She had realized the Ton wouldn’t blame him for the scandal, but she hadn’t thought of whether or not others would want to do business with him because of her actions.
“I don’t care what others say,” Roger said. “I only care about us.”
The carriage came to a stop. Unaware they had arrived at the manor, she removed her hand from his before anyone saw them.
A servant came out to greet them as they descended from the carriage. Lilly let Roger do the talking as he told the servant they were there for a night’s stay and to engage in fox hunting. The servant offered a nod and led them into the manor.
The entryway reminded her more of an inn than a private residence, but she supposed this was a business since Lord Browning had opened his estate up for fox hunting. On the walls, she saw all sorts of things that alluded to past conquests with the sport, such as fox tails and gentlemen’s names that were etched into cloth tapestries. To her surprise, she saw Roger’s name. He had been one of the top hunters for the past three years.
“Mr. Squire,” someone said from behind her.
She turned from the tapestry and faced a servant who was holding her valise. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your room.”
She glanced at Roger, who offered her a nod.
Not sure what to expect but trusting Roger, she followed the servan
t down the hall and up a large staircase. She’d never been further than the first floor of a country estate. Claire had told her that Nate’s manor was enormous compared to a townhouse. From being here, she had to deduce that all manors were large. A person could get lost in this place if they wanted to.
She looked over her shoulder and saw that Roger and a servant carrying his valise were behind her. She noted the excitement in Roger’s face. There was no doubt about it; he loved being here.
The servant led her down a hallway that was lined with paintings, some featuring gentlemen on horses chasing hounds and some featuring gentlemen catching foxes with hounds nearby.
The servant stopped at a closed door with a brass number 7 attached to it. As he opened the door, she saw that Roger was going to the door with the number 8 on it.
“This will be your room for the night,” the servant told her as he stepped into her room.
“I’ll be there in a moment,” Roger called out to her before he entered his room.
She crossed over the threshold of her room. It had several bronze sculptures of hounds, foxes, and horses. The bedding was a dark-red color with a brown border, and the bedposts reached almost all the way to the ceiling. The dark-red canopy curtains were parted at each side of the bed and secured with brown ties. On a table was a decanter with a couple of glasses around it, and to the side were a pipe and ashtray. The table was between two mahogany chairs that were by a large window with matching drapes that were open to let sunlight into the room.
If White’s had bedchambers, she imagined it would be decorated just like this, minus the bronze sculptures that signified fox hunting.
“If you need more brandy or tobacco, I’ll be happy to bring them up,” the servant told her. “Also, after the fox hunt, we will bring you a hot bath and clean towels. I will return with an outfit for you to hunt in.” He set the valise on the dresser. “Is there anything you require at the moment?”
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