She never knew her body could feel anything as intensely as her finger between his lips. “And now? Now that marriage is no longer simply an abstract concept?”
“Now, I cannot imagine ever wanting another woman. We haven’t known each other long, but I feel like I have been destined for you since the very beginning of our lives. I did not need to know you longer to love you.”
Kate had never thought she would find someone who was this much a part of her. Of her soul. But he had summed up what her heart had known all along. They were meant to be together. “Oh, Nick,” she said, as she melted into him again.
“My heart knows you, my soul knows you,” said Nick. “But, I would still like to see you unclothed so my eyes can become better acquainted with you, if you will permit it.”
She had to laugh at his sweet request. “I suppose. As long as I get to see you in that state as well.”
“You can see me in that state any time you’d like, dear heart, though I guarantee I am getting the better part of our bargain.”
“Perhaps, my lord, you should let me be the judge of that,” she said.
“Oh dear. We are back to ‘my lord’ and the Miss Winston of the archives,” said Nick, as he all but ripped off his clothes.
But whatever he said next was lost on Kate as she stared at the perfection which had been unveiled. She’d seen his chest the previous evening, but it had been dark in the hut and she’d been worried about him. However, the moonlight shining through her windows gave her a much better view. Her attention was fixed on him from his broad shoulders down past his chest which was so unlike her own. He was hard muscle to her soft curves. Then her gaze continued downward until…
“Goodness!” she said, as she turned around, her face flaming. “Forgive me!”
“For what?”
“For looking at your…I am not even sure what it is called.”
“Mrs. Johnson didn’t ever mention it?”
“I believe she referred to it once in passing as an ‘instrument.’ But that…that looked more like some kind of…” She couldn’t find words to describe it.
“You cannot stop now. Just do not compare me to a kitten, again. My sense of self could not abide it.”
“If anything, you are a tiger.”
“That is much better, thank you. If I am a tiger, you are my tigress. My mate for life.”
That had her turning around again, though she tried to avert her eyes. She wasn’t certain why she should be protecting his modesty when he had no qualms whatsoever about being unclothed. But then, why should he? He had the body of a god.
“May I help you undress?” he asked. “And while I know you are used to doing for yourself, as you have been with so many things in your life, I hope you will let me assist you. With this and everything else.”
And that is what got Kate past her modesty. He’d started off joking in a rakish way, but had ended up almost unsure of himself. As if he were trying to grow accustomed to their new life just as much as she. And that made everything easier.
“Yes,” she said. “I would like your assistance in all things.”
* * *
Nick couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this nervous. He couldn’t remember the last time the stakes had been this high. He’d never been one to go from bed to bed, though he certainly wasn’t inexperienced. But none of those liaisons with courtesans and widows of the ton had meant anything more than a means of mutual pleasure. His heart had never been engaged.
However, now it was. And, more importantly, so was Kate’s.
He slowly crossed to her and began to unveil the gift he was being given. Her gown buttoned down the front, so she would have been perfectly capable of undoing it, but he wanted to, instead. He wanted to be the one to slowly reveal the woman beneath.
She watched as he undid one button after the other. He kissed each of her shoulders, as he slid the gown to the floor. She reached to pick it up.
“Leave it, love,” he said.
“Clearly you do not have to press your own garments,” she said, as she picked it up and lay it over the chair before allowing him to continue.
He laughed, happy that while she was still nervous, she’d brought wit to the bedchamber.
Finally, he slipped off her undergarments, then stepped back to drink in her beauty.
He could not recall seeing a more perfect woman.
A latent sense of modesty must have gripped her for she tried to cover her breasts.
“No, love. Please do not cover yourself. I look forward to seeing you this way every day for the rest of our lives, and it still won’t be enough. Pray do not deny me even a moment of your beauty.”
“Do you still hope to have relations twice a day?”
“I believe that would be a good starting point,” he said, as he pulled her into his arms. “But we can have them more often if you insist.”
And with that remark and the ensuing kiss, she was lost to passion.
It was an exquisite sensation to be pressed against him, bare skin to bare skin. Everything was happening so quickly it was difficult to keep up with all of the sensations vying for her attention. The feel of his strength and warmth. How he was so gentle with her while also seeming to consume her very being. The way the hair on his chest abraded her breasts, which were incredibly sensitive.
He was laying her down on the bed again, and he’d no sooner lain on top of her than her arms and legs had gone around him as if by their own accord.
He smiled into their kiss. “Do not worry – I’m not going anywhere, love.”
He was touching her all over and the sensations erased any lingering modesty she had. After tonight he would know all of her secrets. She hoped to learn a few of his, as well.
“May I?” She wasn’t sure how to phrase her request.
“May you what, love? Though I cannot imagine a request you’d make that I would not grant.”
“May I touch you?”
“You never need to ask that,” he said, as he put her hand on his chest.
She’d felt his chest a little the night before, but this was wholly different. He was hers now. Not as a patient, like the night before. But as her husband. Her life partner.
Her soul’s mate.
She slowly ran her hands over his chest and shoulders, even as he was kissing and exploring her. She was even so bold as to run her hands down the smooth muscles of his back. She neared his bottom, but at the last moment wasn’t brave enough to touch him there. He moved her hands onto his bottom.
“Everything I have is yours,” he said, just as he was moving his hand down her stomach to the junction of her thighs.
“Oh, my!” she said. “Are you truly supposed to be touching me there?”
“Do you not like me doing this?” he murmured into her ear.
“That is another thing entirely. Of course, I like it.” And how like the scoundrel to make her admit that out loud. “But is it proper?”
“Do you care?”
“On further reflection, I find I do not,” she said, as she gave in to the sensations he was creating there. He was moving his hand in her most private of places, even going so far as to stroke her with one finger.
She gasped, as he slowly pressed his finger into her. She found it difficult to breathe. Hard to do anything but feel.
“Do you like that, love?”
She nodded.
“Say it,” he said. “Tell me you like it.”
“Yes,” she said, barely able to get the word out. “I like it. I love it.” She looked at him. “I love you.”
He stilled, then he kissed her, slowly, deeply. “I love you, too.”
He came more fully over her then, even as he removed his hand from her. She was about to tell him to put it back, but then she felt him press against where his hand had been.
She could feel how wet she was and hoped he wasn’t wondering if something was wrong with her. If he did, he kept it to himself. But he gently pressed inwa
rd, stretching her more than she would have thought possible. She tensed.
He stopped.
“I’m sorry, dear heart. I am afraid this first time will hurt, but I promise it will be better after that. I promise to make it better. In fact, if I could, I would arrange it so that I was the one who was uncomfortable. We can…”
She wrapped her legs tightly around him, then pulled him toward her. He tried to resist at first.
“Not too fast,” he said.
And she was gratified to hear his voice shake just a bit. It wasn’t his first time. But it was their first time together.
He eased into her as carefully as possible. He paused, then entered her fully. She felt a sharp jab of pain, but with the way he was kissing and caressing her, it seemed well worth it.
Soon she was kissing him back. She moved her hips just a bit, only to be rewarded with Nick’s sharp indrawn breath.
“Oh, love, if you do that again, this might be over before it begins.”
“You mean, like this?” she moved again, just to see if she could get another reaction from him.
He put his head back and she could feel his arms trembling as he tried to stay in control. But then he gently began to move. She instinctively began to move with him. He was truly offering very little tutelage to the experience, just sort of expecting her to catch on as they went. But it was just as well since she was beyond the power of speech.
He kissed her and caressed her, making her feel cherished, even as their movements increased in frequency. Something was building inside of her, even as they both struggled for breath. She felt like she was being taken to the top of a mountain and she grasped him closer, as if that might help her reach it.
“That’s it, love,” he said. “Lose yourself in me. In our love.”
So she did. She let this feeling fly through her. It was so magnificent she found herself crying out, even as her entire body felt a bliss she didn’t know existed. A part of her wondered why he hadn’t told her about this part, but all thoughts fled as he began moving faster and faster and surging into her more powerfully with each thrust. Something similar happened to him, as he cried out, shuddered, then dropped onto her as carefully as possible for a large man to do.
For a moment, they both lay there. She could feel his heart beating against her chest. Then he pulled back to look at her.
“I am so sorry to have hurt you. Are you all right?”
“Very much so.”
“Did you….like it?”
She hoped her smile allayed his fears. “I loved it. I believe we can start a schedule of twice daily and proceed from there.”
Since he was still lying on her, she felt his deep laugh all through her.
He rolled onto his back, then settled her against him so her head was pillowed on his chest. He pulled the blankets onto their cooling bodies. “Am I to understand that the compensation for being a countess has increased from simply the merits of having a cook, to also include the twice-daily pleasures of the earl’s bed? It is good to know.”
“A minimum of twice daily,” she said, as she settled against him.
Once again, his laughter reverberated throughout her.
And with that, Kate settled into the most peaceful slumber of her life.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Nick awoke with his wife in his arms. It was a wholly new experience for him in many ways. He never spent the night with his lovers. He’d never wanted to. But waking up with Kate’s soft warmth next to him, made him feel content. Happy. Whole.
He wanted nothing more than to roll her under him and wake her by kissing her and stroking her until he could ease into her. But he knew she would be sore from the previous night. He had been rougher with her than he’d intended, but she drove him mad. She attracted him like no one else.
Love had truly made a difference.
He could feel her stir.
“Good morning,” she said sleepily, as she smiled at him.
“Good morning, Countess,” he said, then kissed her.
“I much prefer Mrs. Chilcott.”
“I like you no matter what you call yourself. This is a lovely room,” he said, as he studied it in daylight. “But the bed at Layton Manor will give us a bit more room.”
“In whose bedchamber? I believe your lot sleep separately.”
“Once again, love, it is now ‘our’ lot. I hope you didn’t have your heart set on separate bedchambers, because I cannot imagine ever sleeping apart from you.”
Her smile went straight to his heart and other places down below. Perhaps she wasn’t too sore, after all.
“Look at the time!” she said, as she glanced at the clock. “We cannot be late to meet Mr. Archer.”
“Let him wait.”
She kissed him, but then jumped out of bed with depressing alacrity. “Now that we have him ready to talk, we cannot afford to miss him. Besides, I must cook us some breakfast. For some reason I am inordinately hungry today.”
He had to grin at her surprise, but he, too, had quite an appetite that morning, which made it no hardship to quickly dress and follow her to the kitchen.
Breakfast preparations were already underway when he arrived. He liked watching her cook. It fascinated him. She fascinated him.
“You look like you’ve never watched anyone cook before,” she said.
“I haven’t. I mean, I have been to my kitchen, but usually just to speak to the cook.”
“Each time you speak of a cook, I grow more content with my new station in life.”
She kissed him then. Lightly at first. But then it grew more heated, before she pulled back again. “Oh, dear,” she said, as she quickly pulled a pan off the stove. “It wouldn’t do to ruin our breakfast. We don’t have a cook, yet.”
“No, love. But we have everything else we need.”
* * *
As they approached the bluff where they’d agreed to meet Archer, Nick kept his eyes open for signs of attack.
“You still don’t trust him, do you?” asked Kate, who was huddled against him for warmth on the blustery spring day.
“I don’t know what to think. But I intend to be cautious, especially with you on my arm. Of course, if memory serves, you are the better fighter of the two of us, so if trouble jumps off, I may hide behind your skirts.” A chill went through him at just the thought of someone attacking them again. He would give his life to protect her. He’d thought about leaving her at home, but knew she wouldn’t have agreed to miss out on the meeting. And, truth be told, he liked having her by his side.
They saw old Archer ahead of them, standing alone and looking out to sea. He turned to them as they approached. “Why is it the best days for being on the sea seem to occur when I won’t be out on my boat?”
“I imagine it is the fisherman’s lament,” said Nick as he shook hands with the man.
“It’s one of the problems, anyway.”
“Did you have any trouble with Smythe?”
“Nope. Never said nothin’ more, even when we got him in his cups when the surgeon came to set his knee. I don’ think he knows more than he tol’ us.”
“What will you do with him?” asked Kate.
“I reckon that’s his lordship’s call. I don’ think the lad means to make more trouble, though what he done was bad enough. I could turn him in to the authorities up in Dorchester, but they’d likely be harsh with him.”
Nick nodded. “He could be transported or sentenced to a few years of hard time. If you’re convinced he means no trouble to my wife or anyone else, you could turn him loose – but after we depart, if you don’t mind.”
“I’ll keep him until three or four days after you leave. When do you reckon that’ll be?”
Nick studied the man. He didn’t think Archer was telling him to leave, though he probably wouldn’t be disappointed to see them go. “I suppose that has a great deal to do with what you tell me.”
“I don’ know much – and that’s the God’s honest truth.�
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“Then tell us what you do know.”
Archer looked out at the sea again. “Ain’t that simple. There’s….activities I could tell you about that could get people in trouble. And not just me. Others, too.”
“I have no desire to get anyone in trouble and am well aware of the existence of freetrading during the war. I would be more than a slight hypocrite to turn the law on the men who provided the brandy my friends and I drank. I only seek information about R and what he might have done.”
Archer sighed, then began his story. “The first time I met him, it was right after the war started. He came through Weymouth a few times. In the beginning, he’d just stay for lunch as his coach changed horses. Always said he was headed down the coast. Then he’d stop again on his way back. After he did that for a few months, he’d stay for a day or two. That’s when he started asking question. Sort of like the way you was when you first came to town. We was especially tight-lipped back then on account of he was obviously a toff and we couldn’t trust whether he’d turn us in to the Revenue. Because, as you said, some around here were involved in freetrading.
“We didn’ tell him anythin’, but that didn’ stop him from returnin’ again and again. Pretty soon his visits became more and more frequent. He started buyin’ more rounds for the lads at the tavern – which was somethin’ else you did. And he let it be known that he might know someone who’d like to send something to France. A package, he called it.”
“Did he say what the package was?”
“Nope. And we didn’ ever find out. For whatever you think, none of us was traitors.”
“What do you think he wanted to send?”
“Don’ know. He was careful never to say. And once it became clear we weren’t going to help him, he stopped comin’.”
Always Believe in Love (Emerson Book 4) Page 16