by Amity Cross
“Alice told me of your family,” I said, attempting to open him further. “Before you came, that is.”
“Did she now?” he muttered, kicking a loose stone with the toe of his boot. “I suppose she painted me as a monster.”
His direct evasion of my question didn’t pass unnoticed. “Not at all. The mental picture I had was of a moody middle-aged bachelor who cared little for his holdings.”
“Then I understand your surprise. I’m sure you delighted in it.”
“Hardly. I was certain you would fire me on the spot!”
He smiled, and it was such a rare occurrence I hardly recognized the man beside me. The light behind his eyes was magnificent, and I lamented at the unknown circumstances that doused it.
Now that we were finally out of view from prying eyes, he grasped my hand in his. It didn’t matter how much I wanted to protest and press him for more answers—one touch silenced me completely.
He sighed, his chest rising and falling with the effort. “I wish I could take you to an island, just you and me, away from fear and danger, and forget all that has happened before I met you on that road.”
He was so forlorn in his declaration that I stepped closer. “Can I help you?”
He grasped my hand and pulled me close, his lips brushing against mine. “Yes, you can help, Jane. You have already been chasing away the demons with your superior spirit.”
“I don’t think I’m superior,” I murmured. “I am who I am, and I do what I am able. We all have our faults, sir.”
His stormy gaze searched mine, looking for something unknown. “You are a rare bird, Jane. I would capture you, but I don’t have the heart for it.”
I shook my head, my lips moving against his just so. “I wouldn’t mind being captured by you.”
“It’s a cage, Jane,” he said solemnly.
I smiled, melting into his embrace. “Then you don’t see what I see.”
“And that is?” His gaze lowered, and his head tilted to the side, poised to claim me.
“You say you are chained, but I see the power within you to break them,” I whispered, my body trembling against his.
“I would have you now,” he growled, pinning me against the trunk of a grand oak. “I need your flesh, Jane. I need to… I need to…”
“Then take me, Edward,” I replied, wrapping my leg around his waist and moving my core against him.
“I fear I cannot be gentle,” he rasped, wrapping his large hand around my thigh. “I’ve waited too long…”
“I promised you,” I declared through a moan as he latched his lips onto my neck. “I would be waiting and ready when you needed me. And here I am.”
“Here you are.”
“Mercilessly, Edward.”
“Mercilessly.”
The refined millionaire shed his skin, and standing before me was the alpha wolf, his mask gone and his desire on show. I knew he hadn’t been lying to me the night we first kissed when he implied he was just as harsh in bed as he was out of it, but I never really understood. Not until I was presented with it.
Edward devoured me, never slowing as he bunched my skirt around my waist and tore at my underwear. All of his controlled exterior was removed, and the beast he kept under tight restraint was free.
I was not afraid of the passion that had been unleashed. No, I relished it. In this, he and I were the same. Controlled, secret, solitary… Together, with our real faces exposed to one another, we could calm the storm and experience a passion like no other.
One day, you will learn to feel true pleasure, Jane, and what a day it will be.
His touch was firm, his fingers biting into my skin, his mouth hard against mine, and I returned it all in kind. I tore at his shirt, tugged his hair, and raked my fingernails over his skin, all in my desperate desire to please my master. He needed to be soothed, and by allowing him to take, I would join in his desire.
He pulled my shirt apart and trussed up my breasts, latching onto one, then the other, sucking and biting, delighting in the tremors that took my body. My hands wandered, scarcely knowing where to touch him first as he worked his zipper in a hasty attempt to free his manhood.
Assisting him, I pushed his jeans down and thrust my hands underneath the hem of his boxers. Then he was exposed, and the reality of what we were about to do settled into my heart and wouldn’t let go. Edward was before me, unraveled and wild, the refined gentleman with the temper all but gone, and in his place was a being of pure sexual power.
With a moan of delight, I grasped him in my palm, and he was glorious. Hard, silky, and beautiful, every bit the man I’d fantasized about, and all of this was for me.
Ignoring all of my protests, he pulled my hand away and lowered me onto the soft grass, his gaze never leaving mine. Spreading my legs wide, he lowered his weight and pinned me in place. Moving his body just so, he massaged himself along my wetness, his breathing becoming labored as his pleasure grew alongside mine.
I opened to him farther, coaxing him to take. My body was his to do with what he would, and the anticipation was driving me to the brink of insanity. I’d never wanted a man to take me as much as I wanted him to now. I wanted nothing more than to feel him inside my body, pulsing and stroking, taking the entirety of his strength. I wished to be torn.
Answering my silent plea, he entered me, thrusting deep within. I rose to meet him, taking every last inch until he was buried deep, filling me. The euphoria of our joining almost took me, but I stilled, my lips brushing lightly against his.
“Jane,” he muttered, breathless.
“Have me as you will,” I pleaded, clinging to his shoulders, my legs wide.
He drew back, then thrust once more, his body connecting hard with mine, and the pleasure and pain that ripped through my body was exquisite. He never stopped as he took me again and again, and each time, I rose to meet him, matching his strength and desire. I wouldn’t allow this moment to be just his. It wasn’t in me to submit fully—my strong will wouldn’t sanction it—so I made it ours as we writhed, lost in the sensations of our lovemaking.
Out in the forest, we were alone, our cries mingling with the earth, our souls returning to their primal state as we joined. I didn’t know how long we were entangled, but I came all too soon, erupting under his relentless onslaught of pleasure.
As I was taken away, I cried out, then his mouth covered mine, muffling my voice and drawing it within his body. His tongue swirled with mine as he quickened, spurred on by my tight core.
Abruptly, he spilled inside me in hot bursts, grunting with each erratic thrust, and the sensation caused me to rise again. Quivering around his length, my body urged his to continue. He buried his face into the crook of my neck, his skin red with exertion, his breathing ragged and hot against my skin as the last of his desire filled my body.
“Jane,” he muttered between breaths. “Jane…”
He cursed softly, unable to say anything more, but I was in much the same state. Everything was one big sensation, my skin was alive with it, my mind overloaded, and all I cared about was Edward and how he’d touched me and how I wanted him to do it again. Never in my entire life had I experienced such euphoria.
It was all his doing. I was his now and forever. His slave. I craved his touch, his words, and his very soul. I never wished to be parted from him.
He withdrew from my body and fell to the earth beside me. “Come,” he murmured, laying his arm out.
I curled up against his body, and he held me close as my being hummed. What little clothing remained on our bodies was tangled around our limbs, but neither of us moved to cover our nakedness.
“You are truly a wild spirit, Jane,” he murmured.
I stroked my palm across his stomach, delighting in the rise and fall of his muscles. “Am I?”
“You shouldn’t try to tame it,” he said. “You should let go of those antiquated notions, and find the wild freedom in your soul and cherish it. Many rarely get to possess a freedom suc
h as that.”
I didn’t reply. Instead, I allowed my fingers to roam to places I’d been forbidden to touch until now. I desired to taste him as he’d tasted me.
Edward moaned softly, indicating my touch pleased him, then said. “It is within your grasp. I felt it as you came.”
My muscles clenched, and I smiled, feeling like I could do anything. It didn’t matter how plain and small I felt, for this powerful man, who lay exposed beside me, thought I was capable of my wildest dreams. Never had someone spoken to me the way he’d just uttered those words. Never had someone believed so strongly in my potential. If it was the only gift he was to give me, then it was a fine one.
Belief in another when their own soul was asunder was a special endearment, indeed.
All too soon, our oasis had dried up, and it was time to return to Thornfield lest we were missed. Righting our dress and smoothing out the wrinkles, we returned our outward appearances to the decorum that was required of us. Edward combed the tangles out of my hair with his fingers, plucking leaves and twigs from the mess, a secret smile on his lips.
We walked back to the hotel in silence, both of us lost in thought. When the stone facade towered over us, and we were unable to delay our journey back into reality anymore, he finally beheld me.
“Till next time, my beautiful spirit,” he murmured, then turned and walked away, his shoulders looking as if they carried a little less weight than when he’d appeared.
With the promise of next time, I returned to the darkness of Thornfield, my own soul shining much more brightly than before.
19
A week after the fire, Queen Bee and her hive departed Thornfield.
Alice and I stood by the reception desk, collecting keys and bidding the guests farewell, while Edward was poised by the foot of the stairs, looking fine in a crisp white shirt and light gray trousers. As each of his friends departed, he spoke a few words in parting and thanked them for staying at Thornfield.
No matter what anyone said about his arrogance and sour attitude, he knew when to display his airs and graces. I suppose it had much to do with how he conducted his business dealings, of which I still knew little. Knowing he would hedge around the subject as he did with most things, I made a mental note to ask Alice later.
My gaze was drawn to Edward again and again, marveling at the power he exuded over the rich and beautiful with nothing but a look and a few well-spoken words. He was akin to a wizard casting spells on the unsuspecting, winning them over with his strange charm.
Knowing it was only a matter of time before Queen Bee made her exit, my gaze alternated from the master to the departing faces. After Edward’s and my interlude in the forest, I was sure her reaction would be icy at best, but how cold? I suspected the chill would put the Arctic Circle to shame.
Alice stirred next to me, and her elbow dug into my side.
“Steel yourself, Jane,” she murmured.
Blanche appeared on the staircase arm in arm with her sister Mary, and my gaze flickered to Edward. I’d believed every word he’d said when it came to the other woman, but I still wanted to bear witness to it firsthand as a sort of confirmation. There were still a great number of unknowns in play, and being certain in this would still my swirling mind some.
Edward smiled at the sisters as they descended the staircase—ever the proper gentleman for their benefit. To my surprise, she cast such a glare I thought she might boil his bones. Mary turned her nose up at him and let out a tiny humph as they passed, then they disappeared out the main entrance and climbed into their waiting limousine.
“Did you see that?” Alice whispered into my ear as I watched their driver close them into the car. “If looks could kill.”
I glanced at Edward, who was stoic as ever. If he felt at all slighted by the Ingram sisters’ snub, he did not show it, though I would think he was glad they’d removed him from their circle of influence. I knew I would sleep more soundly because of it.
“Then I suppose it’s as we thought the other day,” I whispered back.
So he’d told Blanche he didn’t care for her, and they wouldn’t be wed. But how had he done it? What were his words? They would have been chosen carefully, each precise in their meaning when delivered to Queen Bee to avoid misunderstanding. I assumed, given Blanche’s complete disregard for my presence, Edward had kept my name and our dalliance a secret as promised. For this, I was glad.
“Good riddance,” Alice declared smugly, then smiled brightly as the last of the guests bid their farewells to the master of the house.
Edward cast me a knowing glance, betraying he’d overheard her declaration though he didn’t reprimand her for it. Pretending to have not heard was as nice a gesture as he was able to extend as her employer.
As the front doors closed with a dull boom, which echoed through the main gallery, he smoothed down his shirt and sighed in a rare show of relief. I didn’t expect him to speak to us, so I wasn’t surprised when he remained silent, his gaze never reaching Alice or me.
“Thornfield is sleepy once more,” I murmured as he turned and ascended the grand staircase.
Just like that.
Bessie was in charge of the turndown service.
Since our duties had been reduced to next to nothing, I attempted to busy myself by helping strip the beds of their linen and clean the vacated rooms, but she shooed me away.
“Keep your hands off, Jane,” she cursed me with good humor. “This is the last thing we have to do for this summer, and then we can be at peace. You should join Alice in reception.”
“You don’t want my help?” I asked. “I don’t mind, and it keeps my mind from wandering.”
“What in the devil could be on your mind?” she asked with a laugh. “A young thing like you?”
“You’d be surprised,” I replied.
“Nonsense!” She tugged the folded sheet from my hands and pushed me toward the door. “Don’t forget tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“After every summer, once the guests have gone, we have a little going away party,” she said with a wide smile on her lips. From her tone, it must be wild, indeed.
“It sounds like a noisy affair,” I said. “Does Mr. Rochester know you celebrate?”
“Truthfully, he usually departs with them, so he’ll soon find out.”
I frowned, hoping there wouldn’t be trouble because of it. Perhaps I could use my entanglement with him to smooth the waters. The staff needed to let off steam after being so tightly strung for the past month. It was good for morale.
Bessie laughed at my blank stare and shooed me away. “Off with you, Jane. Make sure you come tonight.”
Slipping into the hall, I passed the piles of laundry that sat precariously outside each room, housekeeping staff a flurry of activity within. Descending to the first floor, I left the chaos behind and was alone once more. It was a strange quirk of the old hotel that each section seemed to be quite removed from the next. One could turn a corner and be alone or among a hive of activity and be none the wiser for what was happening next door.
All summer, every corner—save for the darkest—had been alive, but now that Thornfield had emptied, it was as if a switch had been thrown, and all the light and noise that had filled it was stilled just like that.
I was headed toward the main staircase, the same one that descended into the main gallery, when I heard my name. It was a mere whisper, but its tone was unmistakable.
Turning, I found Edward standing at the opposite end of the hall. His eyes were dark, his chin lowered, and I knew a command was imminent. My body prickled with the promise of his harsh touch, and I approached as if I was hypnotized.
“Sir,” I murmured as I stood before him, the string that tethered our spirits becoming taut.
“What a queer sensation,” he said, his gaze drinking in mine. “How Thornfield stills…”
I smiled softly as his thoughts echoed those that had flowed through my mind only moments before. It was if our
tether shared more than just physical awareness, and he could now read my mind.
Taking my hand, he tugged me into an alcove where we were hidden from sight. My back was pressed against the oak paneling, our position cloaked by a grand marble bust of a sour-looking old man—a Rochester of days past—which sat on a pedestal fashioned into a Roman column.
We weren’t completely hidden, and the threat of discovery had my body shivering at the scandal of our closeness.
“Jane,” Edward whispered into my ear.
I swallowed hard, attempting to calm my racing pulse. “Sir?”
“Tonight, you must come to my room.”
His command struck me dumb, and I almost couldn’t bring myself to answer. “Your room?”
“I would repeat our interlude in the forest, but this time, in the softness of a bed.”
His lips moved against my ear as he spoke, the memory of our passion in the seclusion of the forest still fresh in my mind. My muscles still ached with the force of his thrusts, and they began to throb upon hearing his intent.
“Tonight…” I began, too scattered to mention the staff’s prearranged party. I would drop all commitments when he called, I was well aware of that, but I had come to care for the mismatched group that tended to the hotel.
“I cannot stop thinking about it,” he went on. “Your softness under my palm. Your wild spirit unleashed…”
“There is a party tonight,” I said, the words erupting from my mouth like an explosion.
His lips quirked as he processed this information, and his hand took mine. “A celebration for a recent departure, I suppose.”
“You are not angry?” I asked, perplexed.
He shook his head softly. “Not at all. Perhaps once, I would’ve seen it as a slight against me and all I stood for, but no longer. I feel as if I’ve softened in these last weeks. I needn’t control all things so tightly.”
“All things?” I inquired. “Only some?”
“Yes. I need only control things which warrant it.” He drew in a deep breath, his fingers stroking mine. “These past weeks have been trying, like walking on eggshells. The staff deserve to loosen their muscles, so to speak.”