Her arms reached for him, entwining around his neck to pull him down for a kiss. He continued the movements, stoking her body's passion to what was intended to be an unbearable level. When she began to writhe, he slipped a finger inside of her.
She halted, her mouth on his. He started to retreat, but her hand gripped his wrist, tightly, keeping it in place. "Do not even dare think of moving away."
"What if I were to do this instead?"
He began stroking inside her again, and she released his wrist, moving her hips in time with his rhythms. She closed her eyes, sliding her arms above her head in a sinuous movement, lost to the sensations.
Hugh dropped his mouth to the top of her thighs, his lips surrounding the knot of sensations.
"Hugh!" Felicia lifted up, her eyes wide, her mouth open with shock. When he did not halt, she dropped back to the bed, moaning and writhing as if trying to get away, while gripping him tightly at the same time. Hugh grabbed her leg, bending it so he could hold her close, and continued the passionate onslaught.
"Hugh," she cried, over and over. Her breathing sped up. When she could no longer gasp his name, she clutched at his shoulders, and then his hair, ensuring he could not move away.
"Mmmm," he murmured against her, relishing her taste, and her sounds, and visible demonstrations of her passion. The vibrations from his mouth finally sent her over the edge. She grasped the counterpane beneath her, pinching it so tightly Hugh muttered a silent prayer of thanksgiving that he was at a distance from her hands.
In the next instant she screamed, and then moaned. He pressed deeper, determined she would find the most delicious release.
Felicia shuddered, grabbing for him, almost frantically. His body hardened with every beautiful shiver and moan she delivered, an intense succession of them.
At last she pushed, half-heartedly, at his head, and then cradled it on her stomach when he relented.
"Hugh," she attempted, but her voice had disappeared.
He lifted his head and smiled. "If I had only known this was the method to ensure some peace and quiet from you—"
She tried to swat at him, but her arm did not cooperate. He ducked before it caught him anyway with its errant flailing.
"I have never experienced anything so, so—"
He settled himself next to her, brushing her hair away from her eyes. "You are so beautiful," he said.
She blushed, and then tried to cover her nakedness, unaccountably shy. He knew how fragile such a moment could make a person.
"Let me show you how delectable you are," he said. She twisted her lips, apparently waiting for him to tease her, but she would wait forever for that to happen. He trailed a finger across one cheekbone. "Your skin is glowing, with a delightful rosy shade."
His finger traced its way down her neck, to her chest. "And your skin is the color of roses here as well, flushed from your excitement."
She watched him, rapt by his descriptions of her aroused body. He skated his finger over the curve of her breast, circling the nipple, watching as it puckered up once more. "This is one of my favorites," he said.
"Why?"
He glanced up at her, and wondered if she could not see why it was so tempting. Her lips tilted up into a secretive smile. The little minx was getting aroused by his descriptions. It excited him that he could affect her in such a fashion.
"Why is this one of my favorites?"
"Yes," she breathed. "Tell me."
"Because it is a perfectly ripe berry, a sweetmeat like no other." He flicked his tongue over it, then blew his breath against it. Felicia sucked in her own breath. Then she surprised him by plucking at her other nipple, rolling it between her fingers, showing him how she liked it to be touched.
He pulled the hardened knot between his teeth. Her chest rose and fell in a faster rhythm. He could not believe how wonderful it was to play with her in his bed. He had known instinctively they would be perfectly matched lovers, yet he had fought off the notion, for far too long.
He nearly regretted the time they had wasted, but then he tossed the thought aside. The important thing was they had the rest of the night. They had the rest of their lives, to play, and discover every passionate thing about each other.
He bit a little harder, and Felicia moaned.
"Oh, do that again," she whispered. Her hand slid down to where his mouth had been earlier, with no trace of embarrassment. Hugh bit just a little harder, turning slightly so he could watch her caressing herself.
Each bite made her stroke herself a little harder. "Hugh, how can this feel so good? After you just—"
He could not take his mouth away to answer her. She did not really want words at this point, he knew that. She was in thrall to the passion rising, so quickly, and was singlemindedly pursuing it to its conclusion.
He had in mind a different ending, however. His body throbbed with need. As soon as she was at a fever pitch, he would sheath himself in her. The mere thought of it was enough to make him start moaning.
It increased the vibrations against her skin, and she moved to get closer, rubbing herself more intently. She twisted until her body was hard against him, her hand between them to increase the pressure, and the sensation. He kept biting and nibbling at her nipple, knowing she was feeling all of it deep inside of her.
He could not hold back any longer.
"Felicia," he murmured, but she was lost to the heat they had created. He wanted to warn her, but did he really care to break the spell? Perhaps this would be better.
Hugh rose to his knees, stroking her and himself at the same time. Her eyes blinked as she saw the size of him. He wavered, waiting for her protest, but it was not there. To his relief, and amazement, she wriggled to get closer, and he began to press himself inside her.
He halted at her body's natural resistance. He had a moment's gratitude at the proof Felicia was indeed a virgin, despite her scandalous elopements. He pushed, slightly, doing his best to move slowly, to ease himself in.
Felicia grabbed his hips and pulled him towards her, deliberately slow, but it took him a moment to realize it was not to diminish the pain. No, she was watching him, enjoying his reaction as he made her his.
Hugh dropped his head, needing to close his eyes for a moment. Felicia was more than he'd ever dreamed was possible in his life. He nearly shuddered at how close he had come to missing out on all of it.
He felt her hand against his hair, so he opened his eyes.
"Do you like this as much as I do?" she asked, her expression doubtful.
"God, Felicia, I have never enjoyed anything more."
"Good," she said. "Because I want you to do this the entire evening."
He held himself still. He tried to regain control of his surging lust and passion and a riot of other emotions. His body throbbed inside her, and she squeezed, instinctively.
"No, do not do that or the evening will end much too soon. As in the next heartbeat."
She smiled and moved her hips a little closer to his. "Am I permitted to do this?"
He tried to shake his head, but he could not. His body was obsessed with her every movement, trying to anticipate what she might do next, so that he could keep up with her. He nearly laughed at how he had tried to be in charge of this evening. She was the one in control.
He pushed farther inside, watching as her eyes widened, but with awe. She did not cry out in pain, so he began to stroke, rhythmically, and she returned the rocking motion. He lifted her leg and wrapped it around his waist. She immediately did the same with her other leg, locking her ankles behind him.
He dropped his head back at the beautiful sensation of her long legs squeezing him tightly, but then he opened his eyes, not wanting to miss even a second of her beautiful face as she came undone.
"Felicia," he whispered, bending his head towards her, placing his mouth against hers. "I love being inside you like this." He felt an answering squeeze and nearly gasped with the exquisite pleasure of it. He increased the stroking, k
nowing he was close to completion, much as he wished he could delay that moment.
"I love you, Hugh."
Her voice was feathery, and if he were not so close he would not have heard her words. His heart pounded with a similar emotion, but he resisted the urge to confess it just then. Instead he gave her something a little less risky: his passion.
"Oh! Oh, Hugh, that is so good."
She closed her eyes and arched her back, drawing him deeper inside her. He pressed a certain spot, knowing she would be unable to hold out anymore, and in the next instant she clutched his back, screaming his name.
He had never known anything more exhilarating. He pumped harder, his mind a blur, pushing her over the precipice. At the last repetition of his name, his body exploded, and he fell mindlessly into the heat they had created.
***
Felicia watched Hugh sleeping, tempted to brush his hair away from his forehead. He slept on his side, facing her, his face relieved of any care or concern. She dropped her hand to her side, content to watch his chest rise and fall with his slow, steady breathing. His breath blew across her bare skin, heating it and creating goosebumps at the same time.
Had he heard her declaration of love? He had not reacted, so perhaps he had not. Or maybe he merely considered it a response to the heated moment, quite like when she had confessed her love after he had saved her in Hyde Park.
It mattered little. She loved him. She had loved him for years, although until this night she had not realized how full her heart would be from loving him.
Nor had she anticipated how delicious it would be to share in his passion. She could not halt the shiver this time. The mere thought of everything they had done made her ache inside, for more.
This time she could not resist touching him. She stroked his hair, the silky threads flowing through her fingers, and then she traced a path down his shoulder to his very muscular arm. She swirled her fingertip over his nipple, the same as he had done to hers. It puckered in a similar fashion, making her smile. His body could not help but react to her touch. She knew precisely how that was. She was becoming aroused now just by caressing him.
He rubbed his nose and then seemed to fall back into his slumber. Except Felicia noticed his breathing was a little faster, and his arm had been moved so that she could continue her explorations without any obstacles.
She smoothed her hand down his stomach and did not stop until she reached his manhood. It was hard, straining for her attention, and she closed her fingers around it.
"Surely you cannot be thinking of more lovemaking. I am new at all of this, but I was certain I had done everything possible to make you sleep the rest of the night away."
Hugh snorted, continuing to act as if he still slept. She saw him fighting off a smile, however.
She stroked him more firmly, the way she had seen him do earlier. He mumbled and then fell onto his back, giving her free rein to enjoy herself. She ran her other hand down his thigh. "It is difficult to say which of you two is the stronger," she said as she continued her rhythmic caressing. "Though I will swear this leg is slightly smaller than you are."
Hugh choked back a laugh, turning his head to cough into the pillow, continuing his pretence of sleeping.
"Perhaps I should let you rest," she said, halting her movements.
"No!" Hugh sat up, his eyes wide with dismay. He attempted a yawn, but it was nowhere near convincing.
Felicia chuckled as she gripped her husband once more. She loved his playfulness, and the way he allowed her to explore and express her own playful side. They were perfectly matched, in so many ways.
She saw his eyes darken as he watched her hand moving up and down on him. He moaned and dropped back onto his elbows, his eyes skimming her naked body, and she heated as if his fingers were skimming over her.
"Touch yourself," he demanded.
She almost asked where, but his eyes let her know where. It was so brazen, yet exciting, sharing this part of herself with Hugh. No one else would be able to stir her like this. She trusted him with her entire being, and would stop at nothing to bring him pleasure.
But first, some temptation was in order.
With her free hand, she swept her hair away from her neck. "Here?"
He groaned in response.
"Or did you mean here?" she asked, circling her nipple and then plucking at the tip.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment. Just until her hand stopped.
She recommenced the stroking, feeling triumphant as he grew harder in her hand.
"Felicia, please."
She slid her hand between her legs, gasping at the wetness there. She had only time for a few strokes before Hugh grasped her by the arms and pulled her forward, sitting her directly atop him.
Unlike the first time, he entered her easily, with no barrier or hesitation. He held her waist in his hands, rocking her until she discovered the rhythm. She had no words to describe the heat shooting through her entire being, but Hugh could see what was happening. He increased the intensity of his thrusts, and she returned them, each and every one. She could feel it building to a crescendo, nearly frightening her with its intensity.
Hugh gripped her a little tighter, whispering something soothing, yet erotic. Her heart pounded in her ears, so she had no idea what he murmured. She kept her eyes locked with his, feeding off his passion and returning it with hers. Her skin seemed to be shrinking and she wanted to escape it. She had the fiercest desire to draw Hugh deeper into her while pounding against his body, seeking a release from all of the fire blazing through her.
"Hugh," she said, her voice wavering. "Hugh—"
"I know," he answered, pulling her down hard against him. She gripped him reflexively, making him suck in his breath. In the next instant she felt herself suspended in the midst of the rhythm and then she could not halt the tidal wave of sensation pouring through her, sweeping Hugh along with her.
Chapter 20
Hugh tucked Felicia's hair behind her ear, watching as she slept. He adored his wife's ferocity, her spirit, her passion, especially during their lovemaking. But a tender part of him reveled in this very private moment, where she entrusted herself to him in such a vulnerable fashion.
He could feel his heart swelling with an emotion he refused to name. It was one that had caused him such heartache in the past, yet he found himself unable to resist it, or his wife. Perhaps he would be racing headlong into disaster, but at that moment he did not care.
He placed his lips against hers, kissing her softly several times. To his surprise, she did not awaken easily. He pulled her closer against his body and then nibbled at her ear, until he felt her slowly stirring, wrapping her arms around him. He treasured the contented sigh that finally escaped her mouth.
"It appears you enjoyed your wicked night with Lord Wastrel," he murmured, nuzzling her neck.
"I did indeed," she answered cheerfully. "If only I could add this chapter to his memoirs—"
He nipped at her jaw. "Minx. Why are you so intent on regaling the world with my misadventures?"
"Because they are so much more interesting than mine!"
He tilted his head back. Her eyes were sparkling with mischief, and unabashed happiness. It gratified him that he had been the one to cause her such joy. The bedcovers concealed too much of what caused him joy, however, so he began to tug at them. In the next moment she pulled them completely away.
His breath caught at all of her lush beauty on display, just for him.
"You have become so wanton. Which I heartily admire," he added with a quick grin.
"I would like to blame Lord Wastrel," she said, "but I cannot. I merely needed his expertise to guide me to the path I have been seeking all this time."
He laughed outright. "So I am merely an accessory? You have a mercenary heart, Flighty Felicia. I never suspected it of you."
She tightened her arms around him and pulled his head to hers for a deep kiss. It wasn't long before conversation was not needed
. His hands roamed her body, his mouth devoured hers, and his heart gave itself over without the slightest bit of resistance.
***
Felicia stretched and then sighed in utter contentment. She had thought the stirrings were delicious, but everything that occurred afterwards. . .
She turned until she was facing Hugh, her face nestling against the pillow. How she loved this man. It was much more than the instantaneous emotion she had encountered at the beginning. It had already deepened, just from experiencing the daily moments of being a wife and part of a family. She could barely contain her elation at what the future held, for all of them.
Hugh kissed the tip of her nose. "What wild thoughts are consuming you just now?"
"How suspicious you sound. Do you fear I am plotting something?"
"You should have no need to plot anything. Not even my memoirs," he added in an ominous tone of voice, but all it did was make her laugh.
"I may write my own now."
It was his turn to laugh. "I shall buy every copy then, so no one but me can read them."
Her lips turned down into a mock pout.
"Tell me some of the tales you would write. Though you have no need to recount the events of the past day and night," he added, his eyes twinkling, "since I am intimately acquainted with those."
Felicia gave his ear a playful tweak. "So you wish to hear of my elopements? I can highlight a few memorable ones." She thought for a moment. "There was the gentleman I thought I fancied when really it was his stylish way of tying a cravat that caught my notice. Once I learned he cared nothing for sartorial matters, I insisted he turn the carriage around and set me back on my doorstep."
"Indeed." The corners of Hugh's eyes crinkled, as if he knew she was glossing over the details but he was not about to stop her. "And the next vic—I mean, the next lucky fellow?"
"The next was quite horse mad, and I thought that was a most admirable quality. But then it turned out that he was just mad, completely and utterly mad, so I slipped away while he was bargaining for a new set of prime goers."
"At least he helped you pick up some of the racing cant," Hugh said with a chuckle. "You can educate Lucinda one day with the valuable knowledge you've acquired."
Lord Wastrel (The Curse of True Love Book 2) Page 13