by Emily Ward
“I’ll do whatever I have to do, sir.” He tried to look over at Eleanor who was standing meekly behind her father, looking down at her hands. She clearly didn’t want to be in the middle of this conversation. She made no motion to state that she had accomplished her goal. With the way that they had been caught by the maid, there was every possibility that she hadn’t been able to get away yet.
Her motions didn’t reveal anything. She wouldn’t even look at him. In fact, she looked ashamed of herself.
He made a decision then. He would take her father’s rage. All of him knew that he deserved it. “You were seen in her room. You were lucky that we managed to convince the maid not to speak of it. Her loyalty is what’s saving you both from massive disgrace.”
“I thank you for the work that you’ve done to protect your daughter.”
“You’re supposed to be the one upholding her honor.” The older man was practically spitting in rage as he went on and on about the damage that Liam had done to his daughter. There didn’t seem to be an end in sight until the Constable came to the door.
The knock had sounded and gave them both a short break. Liam finally was able to breathe as the maid showed the constable into the room that he had moved the screaming knightly father of the woman he was destined to marry.
“What is it?” Eleanor seemed happy for the distraction.
“Your maid told me you were here. I wanted to say that your daughter will be safe. She did the right thing bringing that to us.”
Eleanor blinked. “I’m sorry, sir? I was only the messenger.” She was trying to explain.
“That’s not what our evidence shows, young lady.” The constable was smiling. “It says that you were actually working with Liam here to help get him out of some trouble. That’s why you had been caught in all those compromising positions.”
“That’s a dangerous thing.” Her father was frowning. This seemed to scare
“But heroic,” Liam spoke up to the other men there.
“I suppose this is going to help her regain what she had lost.” Her father shook his head and walked out of the room, leaving Eleanor and Liam alone.
Her head immediately snapped toward Liam. “What did you do?”
“I knew that saying that you were only helping a friend get out of trouble. I said that you heroically saved me by gathering a certain amount of evidence that you were turning in.”
“I shouldn’t be involved in this at all. It was all you. I just stumbled into this.”
“Giving you the credit may help you regain your freedom. People may forget about what you did in order to save me.” He walked over to her and took her hand. “I don’t want you to marry me because you feel that you have no choice in the matter.”
“Why would you do that for me?”
He pulled her close, holding her head up as he brought his lips down on hers. Her lips responded immediately and her body pressed against his. He could feel the tightening of his pants at the feeling of her body pressed fully against his. “Because I’m hoping that you’ll still take my offer even being free of the scandal.”
“I won’t be completely free.” She whispered against his lips. “They’ll still be talking to us.”
“It should be enough to open up your options.” He didn’t pull away either.
“Why would you do this for me?” She looked shocked; it was clear that she couldn’t believe what had happened. She must have needed time to understand what was happening. Time to process what had happened.
She took her time to think about it, it took some time. She was silent, and he let her think and figure out what she thought about what he had done. He hoped that she would take it well.
But he was happy with the decision that he had made. He felt that Eleanor deserved more than what he had forced her to accept.
“Because I want to know if you would actually choose me.” He brushed some hair back from her face. Her eyes were sparkling with the verge of tears.
She looked taken aback by this before leaning in to kiss him. “I don’t see myself ever taking another offer even if it came up.”
“Are you sure?” He was hopeful as he looked down at her face. “I want you in my life, but I need to know that you want me as much as I want you.”
“I want you.” She whispered. She was surprisingly shy admitting it like it was something she was worried about saying.
“If you need time.” He offered it to her. To give her time to decide. He couldn’t blame her if she did. After all, he had made an offer that must have surprised her. “I never want you to feel forced to be with me.”
“I don’t need time.” She shook her head at him. “I want you. I want to marry you.”
“Are you certain? He couldn’t help but ask again. He was so afraid that she would take it back in a moment.
“Anyone who would do this for me is worth it.” She kissed him again and he could feel his world just fall together. The men that were going to hurt her were gone and she was going to be known as a public hero. She was going to be seen as the woman who saved a man that she was going to marry.
“Your father doesn’t like me much.” He shook his head.
“I don’t care.” She shook her head. “He’ll learn to love you in time.” She was smiling at him and he couldn’t resist that smile. He moved in closer before he stopped himself from kissing her.
“Are you sure about that?” He felt a smile form on his lips.
“I’m certain of it. He’s secretly happy I’m not turning away everyone who shows any interest in me.” It was her turn to smirk and the sight of it made his knees weak.
“If you keep smiling at me like that, I’ll marry you in the morning.” He pulled her in for another kiss.
This made her laugh. “I don’t think anyone could put a wedding together in a day, and it breaks the normal courtship we’re supposed to have.”
“I’ll court you as long as you want me too.” He swept her up one more time, holding her in his arms like a picture of a fairy tale princess being carried by her prince. “How did you do it?”
“I asked to speak to Amelia. I was clearly upset by your forward actions.”
He laughed. “You used your father’s hatred for me, didn’t you?”
“I may have mentioned wanting to speak to her father with some secrecy about what we were going to do about you.”
“It was a brilliant idea.” He nodded. “You played it perfectly. And you managed to get here
“I was worried that you would be upset by it. When I got to speak to her father, I gave him the letter and told him that you had told me to deliver it.”
“So, he told you to come here?” Liam was in shock by the brilliance of the woman that was still in his arms.
“He did. He told my father there wasn’t anything that he could do about it and that we needed to speak to your family and come to arrangements. Once he got that letter, he seemed to understand what was going on.”
“I made sure he would have everything that he needed.” She kissed him in response to that and he couldn’t resist him.
Once again it was at that moment that they were interrupted. Her father walking back into the room. He had a frown on his face. “Have you two come to some sort of decision?”
“She’s agreed to stay by my side.” Liam proudly announced. “And I would have it no other way.”
Eleanor climbed out of his arms and back to her feet while she straightened her skirt. “I believe that Liam and I will be an excellent match, Father.”
He took her hand and placed it on the crook of his arm. He couldn’t help but feel how close she was to him. That barely respectful distance that she put between them.
It made him want to go someplace private with her. It made him want to ravish her until neither of them could walk straight. It made him want her in ways that he couldn’t explain. He controlled himself only because they were in public at that moment.
From that point, it was a list of negotiations a
nd plans being made. The courtship was planned out and they discussed what was going to happen from then on out. It was a long courtship, and as much as Liam wanted to push it forward, he knew that he had to put up with their family’s expectations. They wanted to show that Eleanor wasn’t doing this because she was expecting.
Epilogue
Eleanor waited patiently in the front sitting room. Liam would be there soon. They were to go to a small social event for young couples that weren’t yet married. She couldn’t help but feel a sort of excitement that these sorts of things hadn’t made her feet before. But with Liam, she felt like she could spend her life on his arm. Something about him made her feel the rush of attention and she loved it from him. They were a pair that seemed to attract enough attention. A couple consisting of two people that had never quite fit in, but in two very different ways.
Liam had been excited about the event himself. He had found himself having to visit a few of his family’s lands and they hadn’t seen each other for quite a while. A month of only speaking through letters. She knew that he was supposed to return in time to take her to the small dance her friend was hosting.
She was waiting for his knock in her brand-new dress. Bright green. The same color as her eyes. Liam loved this color on her. He had said it several times in the past, and she was eager to let him see her.
Then he was there, on the doorstep. She actually answered the door when he knocked. “Liam!”
He smiled at her, placing a small flower behind her ear. It was a bright red bloom. “I couldn’t wait to see you, Eleanor.” He bowed and took her hand to kiss it.
This made her suddenly feel the need to titter. It was the first time she had ever felt that way, but suddenly she understood what made all those other women tick. This was a man that she was going to spend the rest of her life with and for that she was grateful.
She held his hand in his. “I missed you. Will you be around for a while?”
“Until the wedding at least.” He smiled at her, looking to make sure no one was watching before he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off of her feet.
She laughed as he swung her around. “It won’t be long now. My father and your mother have been planning for it nonstop. The guest list is getting longer and longer.”
“With my mother, I’m not surprised by that at all.”
“And I’m the only daughter.” She kept laughing as he sat her back down on her feet. “And everyone is so surprised that we’re actually getting married.”
“I’m still surprised about it.” He laid a peck on her cheek.
“Really? It’s not that surprising, is it?” She put her arm in his as he walked her down to his carriage.
“I’m surprised that I managed to get so lucky.” He helped her up into the coach.
“I think I’m the lucky one. You turned me into a hero that helped take down a ring of thieves that had been robbing local nobility.”
“Well, you did do the work. You saved me from myself. You showed me that there were other ways to get the excitement I was looking for.” She sat down next to him.
His arm draped over her shoulders as she settled in the relative privacy of the coach. The curtains had already been drawn, hiding them from the outside world as much as was possible. It still didn’t give them too much space away from the public.
“You’re not afraid of someone discovering us this close together?” She had chosen not to continue down the same line they had discussed several times.
“We’ve been discovered much closer, and we’re to be married soon. I doubt many people would ask too many questions.”
“That almost makes me want to skip this party. We could go someplace quiet to talk.”
She laughed. “Do you think your driver would mind?”
“I think he could be convinced.”
She was smiling as she leaned against him. He dipped his head down to lay a light kiss on her lips. She kissed him back as he knocked on the roof of the carriage. He pulled his mouth away from hers only long enough to ask the driver to take them to his property. “My mother is still out at the country estate. I’ve given the maids the night off. We’ll have privacy.”
She shivered, hardly able to wait for the moment that they were about to share. They couldn’t resist touching each other as they made their way to the house.
It took to long to arrive. They couldn’t help themselves. His hand had already traveled up her skirt and onto her hip. It took almost a minute to put her dress back together to make it inside the building. “Where do we go from here?”
“Would it be to forward to invite you to my private rooms?”
She blushed. “Are you certain we won’t be discovered?”
“What’s the worst that can happen if we do get discovered? We get married even earlier?”
She couldn’t help but laugh about it. “I suppose your right. Lead the way.”
He did indeed lead the way. This would be the first time they ever had this kind of privacy. She could hear the flutter of her heart in her chest. It was thudding impossibly loud. “I’ve never.”
“I know.” He kissed her as he opened the door for her. “I won’t hurt you. We can always go to the party if you would rather.”
“No. I want this. I want you. Waiting has been driving me crazy.” She was honest. She felt the need to touch him, her hands starting to run over his chest, feeling the warm flesh running under her fingers.
“Then let me love you.” He started to lead her to the bed, his hands starting to toy with the buttons on her dress. He was slowly working his way through her dress. “It really does look beautiful on you.”
“I thought that you would like it.” Her hands started to run over his chest, fumbling with his clothes.
“Let me help.” He started to slowly remove her close, kissing all over her body as he revealed her skin. “You’re a rare beauty.”
“I’ve also never been one to follow the rules.”
“That’s one of the other things that I love about you.” He lowered his mouth to her nipple, encircling it with his tongue.
She gasped, reaching down to hold his head close to her breast. This only seemed to spur him on as he slipped her dress further down her body. His hands grazed her bare flesh, touching her in ways that she never had known before.
She started to shiver, more eager to remove his clothes, her hands starting to fumble with the ties. He didn’t help until she had been completely stripped. But once she was naked in his view, he stood to look over her body. “You’re the most beautiful thing that I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“I want to see you.”
He started to remove his own clothes and she moved up to kiss him while her hands moved over his to help him get out of the clothes that he was wearing.
Then he helped her onto the bed, laying her down on her back. “Are you certain this is what you want, Eleanor?”
“This is what I want. I want you.” She pulled him in closer to her.
He crawled over her body, kissing her again, then he started to kiss down her body, her neck to her shoulder blade and down to her breasts again. He sucked on her nipples softly before continuing down her stomach and to the nexus of her thighs.
His tongue worked its way around her inner folds, making her moan and writhe in pleasure. “Liam. What are you doing?” She gripped the blankets above her head.
“I don’t want to hurt you.” He kept lapping at her womanhood with fervor, tasting her most intimate parts. “I need to make sure you’re ready for me.”
She gasped, arching her back as she let out an ear-shattering moan, her body tensing in pure delight as a climax ripped through her body.
He climbed up her body once again and she hooked her legs over his hips. “Do you still want me?”
“More than anything.” She pulled him in for a kiss, and it seemed to surprise him as he positioned his cock between her legs, ready to plunge into the heat from her desire. She felt it start to pe
netrate her, and she felt the soft twinge from the first time a man had laid with her.
She moaned softly, letting her body relax as he kissed her lips, moving slowly to let her adjust to the touch. His hands roamed over her body, starting to softly flick her nipples with his thumbs. Her back arched again, pushing her chest against him, and he took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her. He pulled her close.
He kept her safe, loving her deeply as his movements sped up. He grunted softly, then he began to moan. She could tell that he was getting close.
She could feel her body start to tense as well, tightening as if every muscle was held on a spring. She knew that there was so much that she wanted to say, but there was no way to express how alive her body felt at that moment. How much she needed him. How much she wanted to give him.
But all she could do was tense in his arms as waves of pleasure wash over her. Another climax blew over her like a wave of intensity. She was losing her mind as she felt him twitch inside her, flooding her with all of the love that he ever held for her.
She gasped as he rolled over to hold her close. She laid her head on his chest. “Should we head to the party?”
“We can wait a few more minutes. Just let me hold you close.”
Her eyes started to close as his arms held her to his chest.
“Don’t go to sleep on me. We can’t be caught doing this.”
“I know. I know.” She forced her eyes to stay open.
“I love you more than life itself.”
“You tell me that every day.” She gave a lazy smile up at him.
“It’s not enough.” He touched her hair as he helped her back up. “And our wedding couldn’t come soon enough.”
She laughed slightly. “It’s less than a month away.”
* * *
THE END
A Christmas Wish
Madeline Fisher gripped the edge of the carriage window as it rolled up the lane leading to her uncle’s home, the carriage bounced her around like a rag doll in a little girl’s hands. Her parents had died weeks before in a bank robbery. Her uncle Walter was her only living relative. She blinked tears from her eyes as the estate came into view. She knew she was not going to fit in there, but what choice did she have? She was still too young to be on her own, but old enough to think she could care for herself. She had only seen her uncle a handful of times due to a family squabble and felt as if she was going to be living with strangers. She tried to find a positive note in the sad chapter of her life by remembering her cousin Emily. They had played well together as children and Madeline was excited to have another girl to do things with.