by Rose Gordon
“I tried to warn you,” Andrew said with a wry smile. “It's too late to cry off now.”
“What of an annulment?” she asked with a teasing smile.
“That possibility will be out of the question within the hour if I have my way.”
Brooke felt her skin grow warm. Did he mean what she thought he did? They were going to have marital relations, whatever those were, in less than hour? How could that be, she had no idea what she was to do, her mother never had the talk with her that she was supposed to before her wedding.
A nervous giggle ripped through her as she suddenly understood what Mama had tried to ask her earlier.
“I assure you, it’s no laughing matter,” Andrew said with a sweet smile on his lips. He scooted his chair back and came to Brooke’s side. “Lady Townson, would you like me to escort you to your room?”
Brooke understood his question held a dual meaning. There was the obvious meaning, him asking to escort her upstairs. But there was a hidden meaning as well. He was also asking her permission if he could share her bed.
“Yes,” she said nervously, biting her lip.
Andrew reached out with his thumb and ran it along her lip causing her to release it from her teeth. “No need to be so nervous,” he murmured, then helped her out of her seat.
As they walked up the stairs, Brooke could not help but peeking up at him from beneath her eyelashes. Was this how all brides felt on their wedding night? Nervous with a hint of excitement.
As they reached the end of the hall and her door was in sight, she slowed her steps, causing Andrew to slow his to match. “I know this all seems rather sudden, so if you’re not ready, we can wait,” he whispered quietly.
“I’m just nervous, that’s all.”
Andrew stopped walking and brought his hands up to her face. Cupping her chin, he bent down so his lips were so close to touching hers she could almost feel them. “I’ll be gentle, I promise.”
Then he pressed his lips to hers in such a reverent way she knew he meant to keep his promise.
His hands caressed her face, while his lips caressed her lips. “I love kissing you,” he said against her lips.
Brooke soared on hearing those words. They may not be “I love you”, but they were close enough. If he loved something about her, such as kissing, it was a step in the right direction to winning his love and getting him to abandon his mistress.
Brooke gasped against his mouth when she felt his hands sliding down her body, settling against her ribs and right below her breasts. She loved it when he touched her there. She couldn’t explain why, but when Andrew touched her there it felt like sparks were flying through her body.
Leaving her ribs, he moved his hands to the top of her bodice and gently tried to pull it down, exposing the very tops of her breasts.
Andrew ceased kissing her and took hold of her hand. With a small squeeze and a gentle tug, he led her to her room. When they were both inside, he shut the door with a loud thud then took her mouth again as they stumbled together to the bed.
He broke their kiss and looked at her with a consuming gaze. “You’re so beautiful, Brooke,” he rasped before he reached for her gown again and started unfastening the buttons that ran down the back. With only half of the buttons undone, he moved his hands to grip the sleeves and in one swift tug, he pulled her gown down, causing it to fall into a pile on the floor.
Brooke looked down at what clothes remained. Only a few scraps of clothing now stood in the way of her being completely exposed to his hungry gaze.
Stepping closer, Andrew grabbed the straps to her chemise and went to pull them down over her shoulders, but Brooke grabbed his wrist to stay him. “You first,” she said shakily. When he didn’t make a move to remove his hand or step back from her, she gave his chest a gentle push.
Andrew took a step back and grunted. His hands flew to his front and he quickly removed his coat, cravat, waistcoat, and shirt.
Brooke let out a gasp. She'd felt his chest before and knew he had muscles and hair all over it, but to actually see it was something different. She resisted the urge to reach out and touch him. But her resistance wasn’t very strong and soon she found herself running her hands along the hard planes of his chest and stomach, twirling her fingers into his mat of black hair that covered his chest.
Andrew groaned. “Is this good enough?” he asked in a husky voice.
“No.”
Andrew grunted again. “You’re trying to torture me. Is it because of our pitiful dinner?”
“No. I just want to see you, too.”
Andrew arched an eyebrow.
“Keep going,” she said breathlessly.
He removed his boots and reached for the buttons on the fall of his pants. In seconds, he had them undone and let them drop. He stepped out of them, peeling off his stockings as he went, leaving him clad only in his drawers. “Is this good enough now? Or do you require that I remove my smalls as well?”
Brooke didn’t answer. She couldn’t answer. She just stared at him, her mouth slightly agape and in a trance.
Andrew needed no further invitation. He stepped closer to her and ran his fingers along the crest of her collarbone and over to the straps of her chemise. Not allowing her time to protest or try to stop him, he tugged the straps so hard and fast the stitches attaching the straps to the rest of the garment ripped, leading to her chemise joining her gown on the floor.
Andrew took another step back and raked her over from head to toe with his intent gaze. There was much more of her visible now. Her stomach was bare and so was the top of her chest. She still had her drawers, stockings, and the bands she wore wound around her chest.
Wasting no time, he grabbed the top of the piece of cotton that was tucked into the top and started to unwind the linen.
“Please don’t,” she said suddenly, panic creeping into her voice.
His hands froze. “Why?”
Brooke shook her head. She couldn’t say, “My breasts are actually much smaller than what they appear because I have two folded up pillow linens stuffed under these bands.” But she was going to have to say something. He was going to see them eventually, and it appeared it would be relatively soon.
“My size is not what it appears,” she said stiffly, not meeting his eyes.
“Yes, you explained that before. They’re too big for your bodices.”
“I did not say they were too big,” she corrected. “You just assumed that. Because like all other men of the world, you like to ogle ladies bosoms; and the bigger the bosom, the more you ogle.”
Andrew gave her a curious look. “Then why do you bind them?”
“Because I have quite the opposite problem, thank you.”
“You think they’re too small?” he asked bluntly.
“Yes,” she conceded flatly.
“Let me be the judge of that,” Andrew growled. Grabbing hold of the offending linen, he unwound it so quickly, that try as she might, she couldn’t stop him. After two times around, there were twin thuds on the floor. Andrew reached down and picked up one of the wadded up pillow shams before tossing it down and shooting Brooke an amused glance.
Brooke felt a little relieved that at least he found some amusement in the situation. She, on the other hand, was so nervous she could feel butterflies swarming around in her stomach. Her lower lip began to tremble and she thought at any minute she was going to swoon, which she had never done before, but there was always a first.
The last round of linen came off and Brooke felt the cool air hit her bare breasts in one big woosh. The cool air was quickly replaced by Andrew’s warm hands that came up to cup and shape her swollen breasts.
Her eyes flew to his face. She watched him as he swallowed and his eyes grew darker with desire.
“They’re perfect,” he rasped unevenly, giving them a gentle squeeze.
Brooke looked down and saw how wonderfully they filled his hands. They fit perfectly into his palm, slightly spilling over each time h
e massaged them with his fingers. She thought he would have been disappointed they weren't bigger, but his reaction to seeing them had disproved the notion and sent a flood of relief through her. She couldn’t help but smile up at him.
“Who told you something was wrong with your body?” he growled, as he brushed both of her nipples with his thumbs.
“Why?” she asked tentatively. Nobody had told her there was anything wrong with her. She had eyes. She could see that most other women spilled out the top of their gowns, and she didn’t.
“Because I’m going to string him up from the nearest tree, that’s why. You’re body is absolutely perfect,” he repeated. Then he dropped down to his knees and showered kisses across the tops of her breasts and the valley between them.
Brooke let go of any restraint she had left. He thought her body perfect; who was she to argue? It would make life a lot easier not having to bind them each day.
Andrew wrapped his arm around the back of her knees and the other around her waist, then with one quick movement, he picked her up and placed her on the bed. It was only a second later that his hands were caressing her all over her body, leaving nothing that was bared untouched.
He lowered his head and drew her tender nipple into his mouth. She gasped at the warm sensation. Nothing they had done so far could have prepared her for what she was feeling now. Just when she felt it couldn’t get any better, he circled it with his tongue then gently nipped the tip.
Her body relaxed into a boneless mass and she closed her eyes to better savor the sweet sensations Andrew’s hands and mouth were sending through her body. She let out a nervous sigh when his fingers reached into the slit in her drawers and ran along the crease between her leg and her most intimate area.
“Just relax,” Andrew whispered as his fingers moved to lightly dance through her curls.
His mouth left her chest, where he had been kissing a slow trail down her sternum, and met her mouth. Stilling his fingers, he pressed his mouth to hers and took full control of her lips. She let out a soft moan when his lips left her mouth and kissed a hot path down to her jaw. He ran his tongue along the ridge then moved down to kiss her neck, causing Brooke to shiver in excitement.
Descending down her body, his mouth reached her nipple and he took it into his mouth, gently suckling while his fingers left her curls and trailed along her soft stomach, circling her naval and leaving a hot, searing sensation in their wake.
Dipping lower, his fingers lightly skimmed over her mound and found their way to her swollen, aching flesh. He massaged her there, causing her ache to grow into an intense throb. Finding her wet, silky opening, they both groaned when he slipped his finger inside.
She felt his finger slide inside of her, filling the part of her that ached with need for something more, she didn’t know exactly what it was aching for, but Andrew did.
Rhythmically, he moved deeply in and out, building something deep inside her she couldn't describe.
His pace increased, as did her pleasure. She let out another groan when he added a second finger.
Suddenly, Brooke’s legs felt like they were being licked by fire and her mind was spiraling away from reality. Then her whole world exploded. All the pressure that had built up released in a flood and her whole body tensed then completely relaxed, leaving her with a very content feeling.
A few moments passed before she was able to bring herself to meet Andrew’s gaze. “Did you intend to do that?” she asked dully.
“Yes, it was my intention,” he said honestly with a self-satisfied smile.
“If I had known that was the result of you reaching in my drawers, I might have let you last night,” she said with a bright smile.
“I doubt it would have been nearly as enjoyable if either Gateway or Lady Algen happened upon us doing that,” he said dryly.
Brooke scrunched her nose up and giggled. “No, I don’t suppose it would have.” Brooke met his eyes again. “Is that all? Was that the marital act?”
Andrew gave her with a puzzled look. “No. Didn’t your mother explain it to you?”
“No,” Brooke said shyly. Oh, how she wished she had known what Mama was talking about earlier this afternoon, then she wouldn’t be such a ninny now.
“There’s more,” he said raggedly, tracing a lazy pattern across her thighs.
Brooke reached out and touched his face tenderly then grinned. “Well, what are you waiting for? I’m ready.”
Andrew threw his head back and let out a bark of laughter. “That’s good, because if you weren’t, I was going to have to excuse myself to go bathe in that pond out there.”
Brooke had no idea what he was talking about and was about to ask when he rendered her speechless by laying her back down and literally ripping off her drawers and stockings.
Her hands refused to be idle and freely roamed his body. She dug her fingers into the hair on his chest, twisting and twirling it. Then she moved them to feel the chorded muscles in his shoulders and neck. Except that statue at the museum, she had never seen or felt a man’s body before and this was an experience she thought she could enjoy doing for the rest of her life. But then he pulled away from her touch and stood up.
Her eyes traveled down his standing body and noticed his hands were working at the strings of his tented drawers. Then they dropped.
Her eyes were fixed on the part of Andrew that had just been revealed like it was a novelty in a curiosity shop.
Andrew’s mind must have been on something else because he didn’t comment on her staring and joined her in the bed.
“What exactly are you planning to do with that?” she squeaked and pointed toward his waist as he positioned himself over her.
“You’ll see,” was all he said before his mouth was kissing hers again. His kisses were not as gentle and tender as they been earlier. Instead, they were intense and with purpose.
Brooke became mindless again and gave over to his kisses, she only noticed something was between her thighs when he pulled back from their kiss and whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry, sweetheart, this will hurt a little.”
Her mind tried to put together what he was saying, but didn’t have enough time before she felt something prodding her where his fingers had been only a short while ago. He pushed forward very slowly. She looked at his face and thought he looked like he was the one in pain. His face was grim. His lips clamped shut in a flat, tight line, causing white lines to form and his blue eyes looked hard as they stared intently at her. Finally, he gave one final push and she let out a cry of surprise.
His body stilled on top of her. “Are you all right?”
She nodded and tightened her grip on his shoulders, slightly digging her nails into his skin.
Andrew leaned down and sweetly placed a kiss on her forehead. “Please know that I didn’t want to hurt you. If I could have avoided it, I would have.”
“I know,” Brooke told him, wiggling her hips a little to get more comfortable.
He groaned. Then he started moving on top of her with slow, even strokes, moving as deep as she could take him then almost completely withdrawing.
It felt rather uncomfortable at first, but once her body adjusted to the size of him, she relaxed and started to move with him until together they found a steady rhythm.
The pressure she’d felt earlier began to quickly build up again, pushing her higher and higher with each stroke. This time it only took a few minutes for her to find a release that was even more intense than the one earlier.
After hers, Andrew pushed in once more and with a harsh groan, reached his climax before collapsing.
Minutes later when Brooke was losing the battle to stay awake, she felt Andrew’s lips move in against hair as he whispered, “That, was the marital act.”
Chapter 26
Andrew was awakened in the morning by the sun shinning in the thin little windows, lighting up the room where he and Brooke lay together, tangled and naked.
Peeking down, he saw Brooke was s
leeping and decided to keep still so not to wake her. They’d made love a second time the night before and he knew she had to be tired and sore.
Lying in bed gave him some time to think about what he’d do next. When Willis suggested he mine his land, he’d refused, but now that he had lost his estate he saw no other option unless they were to continue to live like paupers for two years until the rest of the debt was paid. But even after his father’s debt was paid, they’d still have to live meagerly.
He would just have to borrow the money and build the mines. But from where? Who would lend him any money? No banker in his right mind would be willing to lend him money. He had no friends or acquaintances who would lend him the money, except Alex. Alex was the only one who he knew that had the money and would lend it to him regardless of his monetary credit; but he may not want to lend the money now after what Andrew had done to Brooke. Even though Andrew had married her, Alex might be upset Andrew took liberties before marriage and refused to do the right thing at first.
The only other person he knew who would have access to that sort of money was Brooke. Her dowry was five thousand pounds, which was enough money to not only get the mines up and running, but also let them start to live the lifestyle Brooke was accustomed to. But he’d told her father he would not use one shilling from her dowry. He was not the kind to live off his wife’s generosity; her money would be set up in a trust for their children or given to her as pin money. Anyway, the idea of borrowing money from one’s wife was laughable.
He didn’t realize he’d actually expressed a laugh until his wife’s sleepy face turned up to look at his.
She didn’t say anything, but raised her eyebrow the way he did. Married only one day and she had already picked up some of his habits, he thought with a smile.
“I was just thinking about some things you don’t need to worry about,” he said, pushing some of her thick hair away from her face.
“I’m not a featherbrain, Andrew,” she countered and leaned to kiss him. “What were you thinking about?”
She was right, she wasn’t a featherbrain, but he didn’t want to burden her with this. “Just thinking about our future, and what we’re going to eat and wear,” he said lightly, hoping she’d think he meant the present.