Kissing her distracted him enough to keep from thrusting into her quick and hard, the way his body wanted to, but he couldn't stop the slow glide to fill her, even when he'd felt her stiffen as he'd broken her barrier. He needed to be inside her too much, every instinct in his body screaming to claim her, fill her, and make her his. The heat surrounding his cock was incredible, a silken vise that gripped him and massaged him as he buried himself inside of her.
Her whimpers as she clung to him, kissing him back fiercely, helped him reign in his passion.
Slowly... he had to move slowly... and hope that he didn't completely unman himself and spill his seed in the first few minutes of coitus, as if he were himself an untried youth rather than one of the ton's most accomplished rakes.
******
Oh my... oh my, oh my, oh my....
Larger, more descriptive words were impossible as sensation swamped Gabrielle. While she'd witnessed the marital act and she'd imagined the marital act, nothing had quite prepared her for the reality of the intimate invasiveness, the shocking vulnerability, or the sharp shock of pain. Pain that didn't come from her still tender backside, but instead from deep inside of her as her husband's staff moved inside of her in a way her fingers never had. Deeper than her fingers ever had. Stretching her wider, making her hurt wonderfully - at least, it was wonderful after that initial tearing sensation that had surprised her.
He was moving inside of her, filling her, while simultaneously surrounding her with his body. His arms were on either side of her, his fingers in her hair, one hand sliding down her thigh and pulling her leg open wider as his body joined with hers. Gabrielle was gasping at the incredible sensations, her sore bottom completely forgotten in the wonderment of these new, shocking physical revelations.
It felt like he was almost too big for her, and yet she stretched until she felt breathless, as though his invasion had pushed all the air out of her lungs. When his body finally pressed against hers, warm and hard between her thighs and against her womanhood, and she realized that he was fully inside of her, she felt a moment of relief that he wasn't any larger. Already she felt overly full, and yet fully wonderful.
This was what it felt like to be a married woman. To be joined with her husband. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his kiss delving deep into her mouth, his hard rigidity holding her open... and then he began to move.
She gasped as the sensation of him inside of her receded, and then thrust in again, making her tingle from head to toe as her body arched in reaction. It was the strangest feeling, and yet incredibly pleasurable too. The gentle but firm thrusts, moving his manhood in and out of her, were so much more intense than anything she'd ever managed to do to herself, so much more pleasurable than she'd ever imagined.
The initial pain was forgotten, the tenderness of her bottom was forgotten even as the sensitive skin was pressed against the bed sheets - everything felt like pleasure as his body rocked against the little bud of her clitoris. She could feel her climax building inside of her, but it felt different.
Fuller.
Bigger.
More encompassing.
With every slow drag of his hips, Felix sent her soaring higher and she dug her fingers into his shoulders, clinging to him like he was her port in the storm of sensations that threatened to drown her. She was lost and he was her anchor to reality. His lips feathered over her face and she realized he was kissing away the tears that were leaking from her eyes, which were squeezed shut. She hadn't even realized she was crying; her rising ecstasy was so intense that it was like her body was falling apart at the seams.
A rushing noise filled her ears as Felix ground his body against hers, trapping her pleasure button between their bodies and rubbing it with his own, his manhood jolting inside of her, and Gabrielle cried out as pure rapture rolled through her. She sobbed at the intense rush of passionate bliss that burst inside of her, tingling along her limbs, making her shake as if her body was a vessel for pure sexual energy that had no release - it just bounced around inside of her skin, sending her higher and higher into ecstasy, until she screamed from the sheer need to release it.
Heat pulsed inside of her and she felt her body clamping down around Felix, making him feel even larger as she shuddered in heavenly gratification.
Her limbs suddenly felt heavy, and Felix's weight settled on top of her as he panted for breath, his lips brushing against her hairline. Even though it was harder to breath with him lying on her, she realized that she liked the sensation. Liked having him so close to her. At the same time, underneath her muzzy satisfaction, there was a small kernel of panic as she wondered whether or not he felt the same striking closeness to her that she now felt to him.
"Bloody hell." His voice was so low that she could barely make out the words. "My cock's done knackered."
"Your cock?"
Coughing, her husband moved, propping himself up on his forearms and taking some of the pressure off her chest and belly. Gabrielle almost missed it, but she had to admit, the sight of his face so close to hers, hovering above her, wasn't bad either. Especially because he was looking at her with an expression remarkably similar to the way he often looked at Cordelia.
Like he actually liked her now.
She smiled up at him. "Your cock?"
"My ah..." His hips shifted and she gasped as a ripple of sensation slid through her body, like a shadow of the glorious climax that she'd just experienced. "The part of me that's inside you right now."
"Oh! Your manhood."
An amused smile lifted the corners of his lips. "If that's what you'd like to call it."
"You call it a cock?"
A curious expression crossed his face at her question, and she actually felt the part in question jerk inside of her. "Yes, although perhaps you should refrain from using that word at the moment... you're going to be sore enough tomorrow as it is."
Rolling off of her, and taking all that wonderful, heavy, body heat with him, he pulled her to his side. Gabrielle winced as she rolled, her legs moving. It wasn't just her bottom that was tender now, between her legs felt quite almost bruised, completely distracting her from the questions she'd had.
"Ow."
Suddenly frowning, Felix moved his arm out from underneath her as he got up. "Stay there."
She watched him curiously as he wet a cloth in his water basin and returned to the bed. When he began to clean her off, very gently, between her legs, she blushed and closed her eyes but didn't protest his ministrations. They felt rather nice actually; the water was cool on her swollen flesh, wiping away the stickiness on her womanhood and her thighs.
Even better was when Felix slid back into bed, his dark eyes studying her intently as if looking for anything he'd missed, as he drew her into his arms.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes, of course," she said, her temper stirring a little. Did he think that there was something wrong with her, that she was somehow deficient as his wife? That she shouldn't have been able to do her duty for some reason? He had resisted performing the act after all...
"Don't be tart when I'm ascertaining your wellbeing," he said, pulling her into his side so that her head was tucked into his shoulder as she was laying on her side, one hand on his broad chest. His hand slid down to her hip, and then sliding to her rump, patting it gently and awakening the soreness from her spanking earlier. "I don't want to have to give you a second spanking tonight."
For a moment she thought about arguing, and then she thought the better of it. She had taken his question the wrong way, apparently. Still, she wasn't going to deign to reply to his threat.
"What now?" she asked, after a long moment when he seemed content to just lay there on the bed. She felt incredibly relaxed - despite the threat - and she didn't particularly feel like moving... but this was his room after all. As nice as it felt to lay on his shoulder, with his hand proprietorially resting on her hip, she wasn't sure what came next.
"What do you mea
n what now?" he asked, opening one eye and peering down at her. "Now we go to sleep."
"Oh." Disappointment and a sense of loneliness flashed through her, but she started to push up from the bed, only to squeak as he yanked her back down again.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To my bed," she said, completely confused, although rather enjoying the way he was now on his side with both his arms around her. One bicep was providing a pillow for her head while that same hand curved around her mid-back, holding her in place while his other hand was wrapped around her lower back and resting on her bottom cheek. "You said we were to sleep."
"You sleep here from now on," he said, pulling her into him.
Joy flared in her chest as her nose was pressed against his, the wiry hair tickling her face. There was something about the way he'd made the demand that sent warm happiness fizzing through her. Gabrielle snuggled into him, completely willing to comply with that particular order. The last time she'd slept beside someone was when she'd run to her mother's room after a nightmare, as a child. Her mother and the Baron hadn't slept in the same room, that she knew, but Felix wanted her in his.
It wasn't something she'd thought about before, but now that he'd made the demand, she found that liked it. Especially if he was going to hold her all night.
Apparently, attending to her marital duty had been just as beneficial to their relationship as she'd hoped. After all, he hadn't been interested in sleeping beside her before this. Now he was.
Now, she was wanted.
Chapter 7
Bedding his wife had rewards above and beyond the obvious, Felix thought smugly over breakfast the next morning. Apparently all Gabrielle had needed was a good tumble to tame her - at least temporarily. He doubted her fiery temper would be completely eradicated, but at least it helped. He didn't want her spirit to completely disappear, after all, he just didn't want a temperamental wife all the time. Granted, her mood had been much more even tempered ever since she'd met his parents, but this morning she was milder than he'd ever seen her. There was an air of happy softness about her, as if her expression was now more geared towards a smile than a frown, and that smile might appear at any moment, given the slightest provocation. The opposite, as it were, of her usual mien.
Unfortunately he hadn't been able to repeat the experience, as Gabrielle had been rather sore this morning. Although that hadn't stopped Felix from burying his tongue between her legs and soothing her that way. She'd been both shocked and gratified by his attentions, while he'd been left smug and frustrated. If she wasn't feeling better by tonight, perhaps he'd educated her on how to pleasure him with her tongue. She'd seemed amiable to staying abed this morning, but Felix hadn't wanted to push things too quickly.
After all, last night had advanced their physical relationship much further than he'd intended.
"So what are your plans for the day?" his mother asked, interrupting his thoughts. He smiled at Gabrielle, who had been caught with a mouth full of bacon when his mother asked the question. Her green eyes sparkled back at him, full of mirth.
This was the kind of relationship he'd wanted with her, from the very beginning. It was easy to see Gabrielle's innate sweetness now, her sense of humor. Some ladies might be embarrassed or even resentful at being caught out with her mouth full - if they even took a large enough bite to call it that - but Gabrielle just shared an amused look with him.
"I thought I might take Gabrielle down to the creek," he said easily. The creek was a long walk from the house, but one with many pleasant views, including a wishing well and a blackberry patch. It would be cool and private. His brothers and he had passed many a day there, enjoying playing away from wandering eyes. The perfect place to continue his seduction (or wooing, as his mother would insist on calling it) of his wife.
******
Despite the soreness of her bottom (which she was at least somewhat used to) and the soreness between her thighs (which was new and strangely delicious), Gabrielle felt wonderful this morning. It was as though last night's spanking had allowed her pent-up emotions to spill over and drain out of her, leaving her feeling wonderfully light. He'd spanked her, but it had been a much more intimate spanking that the Marquess had ever given her - for which she was grateful. The aftermath had been a shocking revelation. Certainly much more effective at comforting her than mere praise and cuddling.
It didn't hurt that her husband had held her all night long. She'd awoken, several times, unused to sleeping beside someone, only to have his arms tighten around her when she'd wriggled into a new position. Of course, he was asleep and she couldn't be sure that it was her he held in his dreams, but she could pretend. Maybe even hope, a little. When he'd awoken in the morning, he'd certainly been eager to get between her thighs, with no reward for himself.
She still blushed to remember how shockingly depraved he'd been, his mouth and tongue licking over her flesh, soothing away some of the tenderness of her womanhood. As she'd pressed her bottom into the mattress, the lingering soreness of her spanking had only enhanced her pleasure.
And now he wanted to spend more time with her! And he was smiling at her the way he'd smiled at other ladies, the way he'd smiled at Cordelia.
The smile on her own face was a force that couldn't be hidden away, even if she'd wanted to. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this unequivocally happy.
"Oh well that sounds lovely, dear," Mother said, although she looked a bit disappointed. "I'll be out in the gardens this afternoon. If you're back in enough time before supper, perhaps you'll join me?" Her entreaty was addressed directly to Felix, but her eyes quickly moved to Gabrielle and stayed there, including her in the request with a look of hopefulness.
"Of course, I'm sure we can make it back in plenty of time," Gabrielle said immediately, delighted that the older woman so obviously wanted to spend time with her. Besides which, she had a bit of a lonely air about her, which Gabrielle could certainly sympathize with.
"Yes, that should be no problem," Felix said, a little reluctantly. Gabrielle's heart leapt. He almost sounded as though he didn't want to return early, as if he wanted to spend the whole day with her! She'd assumed he'd want to be back in the house by the afternoon... she couldn't remember the last time someone had actually wanted to spend so much time by her side. Especially without seeing it as a duty.
He didn't see it as a duty, did he?
Of course not... his duty would have been fulfilled after last night. There was no need for them to spend all day together. In fact, his duty might be better fulfilled by working or helping his father. Instead, he wanted to spend his day at leisure with her.
The hope that was thumping inside of her breast was almost painful.
******
The creek was just as Felix remembered it.
Cool water burbling over rocks; small, deeper, pools filled with tiny creatures; heavy branches shading the full width of water; a few deeper chasms that he wouldn't want to wade into in breeches; and, unfortunately, it still had children playing in it. That had been a surprise. When he'd been younger, the creek had only drawn him and his brothers, as far as he knew.
When he and Gabrielle had entered the small, sandy clearing he and his brothers had used as children, Felix had been rather discombobulated to find that it had been invaded. Not only that, but as soon as Gabrielle had recognized two of the young girls playing there, he'd known there would be no drawing her away to a less used section of the creek. The two little girls had come with her from London, after all, and they were eager to show her all the discoveries they'd made since arriving and to introduce her to their new friends among his servants' children.
Still, it wasn't a total loss.
Gabrielle's laughter was as free and joyous as the girls she was currently wading through the shallowest part of the creek with. Holding up her skirts so the hem brushed her knees, she followed the two little girls around as they pointed out all the fishes swimming around their feet, giggling a
s they danced away to keep their toes from being nibbled on.
"They're too little to be our supper, but your little toes are apparently just big enough to be theirs!" Gabrielle teased the girls, who squealed and clung to her.
"They arn' gunna eat yer toes!" One of the boys standing next to Felix called out. "Silly twits." Trevor was the leader of the little band as far as Felix could tell; he was the oldest at nine years old and would probably be apprenticed the next year, but for now he was free to play with the rest of the kids. Felix was showing him and the other boys how to catch toads, although so far none of them had been successful (including Felix).
While he would have rather been teaching his wife to do much less innocent things, he did at least get to enjoy watching her capering like a water nymph, obviously enjoying playing with all of the children. In return, they flocked to her almost instinctively. When Felix and Gabrielle had first appeared in the clearing, the children had all stiffened, recognizing their betters immediately and obviously quite intimidated by them. Within five minutes of asking a few questions and distributing her sweet smile, Gabrielle had the small band in the palm of her hand. Trevor had taken quite a bit of pride in showing her the rope swing they'd set up, which Gabrielle had declined to try, although she'd enjoyed watching the boys running and jumping to grab it with their hands, swinging wildly back and forth as she cheered them on.
And now Trevor felt comfortable enough to call Gabrielle and the little girls 'twits,' Felix thought, his mouth quirking.
As popular as Gabrielle had been with the ton after her debut, Felix hadn't realized how uncomfortable she'd also been among them. She'd held herself well, and she'd definitely enjoyed the parties and balls from what he'd seen, but she hadn't truly been able to indulge in unfettered enjoyment. It was here, with the children, acting like a child herself, that he felt like he was finally seeing the true Gabrielle.
Gabrielle's Discipline (Bridal Discipline Book 3) Page 9