A Gentleman Never Surrenders

by Lauren Smith

  “What? Please talk to me.” She scooted closer and wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her cheek on his shoulder. The embrace, so gentle and comforting, obliterated that last barrier inside him keeping his heart safe from her.

  “When I see Jack, see how broken he is over what we faced during the war… and I come away with a few harmless nightmares, I can’t help but wonder what that says about me. Is my heart so hard that the things that haunt him fail to haunt me? What sort of man am I, that my spirit is bruised rather than broken? We faced the same men, fought the same battles, our hands coated with the same innocent blood. Why am I not trapped inside the nearest bottle, too?”

  Milly didn’t speak for so long that he thought she wouldn’t, but when she finally did, her voice was a delicate whisper close to his ear.

  “When I first met you, I believed you were a heartless seducer, bent on securing a fortune.”

  He closed his eyes. Her vision of him was black and all too true.

  “But I was wrong. So very wrong.” Her voice caught and she paused. “Everything you do comes from a place of love. Love for your home, your friends, even your servants. I never met a man who acts with his heart as you do. The last thing you are is heartless.”

  He turned his head to look at her, and a little tear escaped one of her eyes and rolled down her cheek. He brushed a finger over the tear and leaned in to nuzzle her cheek.

  “I want to kiss you right now. Would you let me?” he asked.

  She nodded, bringing her arms around his neck as he shifted on the bed to face her.

  “I’d like you to do a bit more than that, husband.” A little impish smile curved her lips and warmed her eyes.

  “Thank God.” He chuckled against her lips right before he kissed her.

  Her lips parted and he took advantage, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. She moaned in encouragement and met him kiss for kiss. Her hands dug at his clothes, tugging on his jacket, his shirt, the front of his trousers. Her clothes were a little trickier, and he had to slide one hand beneath her to unhook her skirt before she could shimmy out of it. He was never more desperate to get a woman fully bare beneath him than he was in that moment. Milly laughed, seemingly content to let him struggle with her clothing.

  “Lend a hand, sweetheart?” he growled as he wrestled with the ties of her corset.

  “Very well,” she said, still laughing but breathless now. The expression lit up her face and her usually austere beauty was now soft and womanly. Her eyes were slumberous and her cheeks flushed to a delicate rose as she embraced their passion. He slowed to a stop, his hands knotted in her shoes as he stared at her in awe.

  “What?” she asked, her brows drawing together, and her smile started to wilt at the corners.

  “It’s just…” He struggled for words. “You are so lovely it took my breath away.” He meant it. Looking at her actually made him feel a tad light-headed.

  Her lips formed an enchanting moue as she stared at him.

  “Then why did you stop undressing me?” she asked, still confused.

  He began undoing her laces again, this time more sure of himself. When he raised his gaze to hers, he was unable to stop a smug grin.

  “I was savoring the fact that you are mine, my wife, mine to take to bed, mine to make love to.” He parted the corset and she raised her arms as he lifted it off her. She was finally down to nothing but a filmy sleeveless chemise. Her full breasts were barely concealed beneath the thin material.

  “It’s time we got better acquainted with each other,” he murmured with a wry chuckle before he lifted the chemise up and off her. Milly gasped, arms coming up to cover her breasts, but he caught her wrists and gently trapped them above her head while he nibbled a path to her breasts. He suckled each sensitive nipple until the small buds pebbled against his tongue. She panted beneath him, her sighs and moans of encouragement showing him what she enjoyed the most. He wanted to teach all of the delights to be had between a man and a woman.

  Owen worked his way down her body, nipping and licking the curves of her breasts, the slightly rounded belly, and down to her mound.

  “Owen, you can’t!” Milly protested, but as he settled between her thighs, he saw excitement and fear flash through her eyes.

  “Don’t fear me. There will only be pleasure between us.” He parted her womanly folds and licked her. Milly’s hips jerked wildly as she nearly came up off the bed. The strangled little cry of pleasure made him chuckle. She was learning to respond to him without thought, to let her barriers down.

  “Close your eyes,” he murmured, and then continued to lick her, flicking his tongue inside her and swirling it in patterns. He braced himself on one arm and gently inserted one finger into her sheath, while he teased the little pearl peeping out from her folds. That was all it took to send her flying off the edge in a cry. She put her fist in her mouth to muffle the sound. Someday he’d teach her that she didn’t have to silence her sounds of pleasure. Someday.

  He crawled back up her body, feeling like a veritable god of ecstasy. She lay panting and gasping for breath beneath him, her lashes fluttering wildly.

  “Want to try something different?” he asked.

  “Different?” Her lips quivered as she still continued to breathe hard.

  “Mmm.” He dropped his head to kiss her neck and then bit down on her shoulder.

  “Oh, that feels…nice,” she moaned, her nails digging into his back as she dragged him closer. He positioned himself above her and sank inside. They shared a soft sigh of fulfillment as their bodies fully connected. But he didn’t wait for her to move; he rolled their joined bodies so she lay atop him. She gripped his shoulders, staring down at him in shock.

  “Me on top?” she asked, genuine surprise on her face. “Is this…acceptable?”

  Owen lifted her hips, withdrawing, then jerked her back down, impaling her on his cock. She made a little whimper and smiled in a heated daze.

  “It’s acceptable, if you like how it feels. Do you?” he asked, and repeated the lift and thrust hard.

  Milly bit her lip and nodded, starting to raise her hips on her own and slamming them back down. He kept a firm hold on her buttocks, giving one cheek a light tap with his palm. The tantalizing view of her breasts bouncing against his chest as they made love made it nearly impossible for him to focus on not coming too soon. This woman had the power to undo him and she had no idea how dangerous that was.

  I’ve fallen for my wife. The thought struck him just as he increased his upward thrusts and she dropped her hips down. They moved in time, their bodies working together in perfect sync. It was everything he’d ever dreamed to feel with a woman and it wasn’t just about being in bed with her. What he felt right now came from something deeper, from the moments they’d shared leading up to this. The quiet smiles, the whispered words, the shared stories, their working together to resurrect his home to its former glory…Milly was perfect…for him. How can I not love her?

  * * *

  How could anything feel this good? Milly completely surrendered to the moment and her own passion.

  “Give me your hands,” she said.

  Owen lifted his palms off her body and held his hands up by his face. She shifted a little, circling her hips, and grasped his hands, palm to palm. He laced his fingers through hers as she pinned their joined hands into the bed. They rocked together, eyes locked, sharing breaths. They began a delicious climb to pleasure. When she leaned down to kiss him, her body felt as though it burst apart in a thousand pieces before it came back together. She continued to kiss him long after he’d come beneath her.

  There was little in the world she believed she’d ever want to do forever, but kissing Owen, like this, while they were intimately joined, was one of them. Pure and simple. Nothing could ever be better than this. She finally understood why women risked scandal. It was so they would someday be free to act as men did to enjoy life, not be trapped by it.

  Owen deepened the kiss and
Milly clenched her inner walls around him, making him groan deeply. It seemed neither of them wanted to stop, but Milly was exhausted from another long day of helping with the house.

  “Are you tired, sweetheart?” He squeezed their joined hands and she nodded, still trying to kiss him. “Then you need to rest.” He rolled them so they lay on their sides facing each other.

  “So do you.” Her sleepy reprimand seemed to amuse him. He withdrew from her, but laughed softly as she made a disgruntled sound of protest.

  “Oh dear, I’ve created a beast.” He nuzzled his nose against hers.

  “A beast?” She wrinkled her nose and frowned.

  “An insatiable lovemaking beast.” He kissed the tip of her nose.

  Milly cuddled close, tucking her arms up by her chest as she burrowed into him.

  “Owen, you promise not to leave again?”

  “Leave?” He wound one arm around her waist.

  She stroked his throat, needing to touch him. The last ten days had seemed so empty, so lonely without him. She’d never needed a man to feel complete before, still didn’t, but she’d grown to care about Owen…deeply, so much so that she’d feared she would be fully in love with him before long. What would he say in the morning? What would he do to make her laugh? What mischief would they get into while cleaning his home together? She longed for more time with him and having him back made Wesden Heath feel like home for the first time.

  “No more running off to save people. I’d like to be a little selfish and claim you for myself. We never had a honeymoon, if you recall.” She smoothed her hand flat on his chest above his heart, feeling a warmth so deep it stunned her as she counted his heartbeat.

  “No more running off,” he promised. When she looked up, his eyes were dark and fathomless.

  “Owen, may I ask you something? I want an honest answer.” His heart began to pound, and she licked her lips nervously.

  “Honestly, that I can do. I’ve never been one to lie, except when necessary to prevent harm.” He frowned, then continued. “Whatever you ask, I will always answer honestly.” His arm around her waist squeezed slightly.

  “When you realized it was me and not Rowena in the bed, were you very disappointed?” Asking him this felt like a knife was sliding between her ribs to cut her heart to ribbons, but it had been a lingering thought in her mind for a long time.

  His heavy sigh filled her with so much dread she couldn’t breathe for several long seconds, but she knew deep down from the start he’d wanted Rowena, not her. What she truly feared more than anything was that he still wanted Rowena but was doing the honorable thing by her and wouldn’t stray, not even if his heart asked him to.

  “I had set my sights on her; that much is true. If my valet hadn’t made an error about which room she was in, I’d be with her now.” He paused, his expression so serious that she knew what was coming next.

  And here I was foolish enough to ask him to break my heart by telling me the truth.

  “You would be happier then? If you ended up with Rowena?”

  She didn’t want to look at him, but she couldn’t find the strength to turn away. His eyes softened and a hint of a smile played about his mouth.

  “I’m sure we would have gotten along, but she isn’t you. I don’t want to be married to anyone else now that I’ve been with you.”

  His response was so unexpected that she blinked owlishly and gaped, openmouthed. He lifted his hand from her waist and used his fingers to close her mouth by gently tapping her under her chin.

  “You don’t believe me?” He laughed, sheer delight making his eyes sparkle. At first she used to hate his teasing, but she’d realized now that it was part of how he showed affection, something she’d come to crave in the days they’d spent together. But his admission now, that he really wanted to be with her, filled her with a stirring of hope so strong that she couldn’t speak.

  She only managed to shake her head.

  “Milly, sweetheart, you’ve seen how stubborn I am, how much help my home needed…I believe there is but one woman on earth who could handle me and my home. That woman is you. Rowena is a dear girl, but I need someone who can brave the wild with me, take me in hand when I act unreasonable, manage my household, see to my…passions.” He added this last part with a little wink.

  “You truly…like me?” She had never felt so vulnerable in her life. She’d managed to go her entire life without needing validation from anyone, especially a man, but Owen mattered. She ached to be cared for, liked back, as much as she liked him.

  “I do.” He kissed her, in a slow, lingering tasting, and she purred, sidling ever closer. She could have died from happiness. He liked her. It wasn’t love. They hadn’t been together long enough to love, but maybe someday…He was proving he was a partner in their marriage and that affection was growing between them. She’d never imagined she could have been so lucky to end up married to a man like him.

  “What about me?” he asked.

  “Hmm?” She didn’t want him to stop kissing her.

  Owen brushed a lock of hair back from her face. “Do you like me? I imagine you hated the idea of marrying me.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “I thought my life had ended. You were so arrogant, so…full of trouble, but I am happy I was wrong.”

  “Full of trouble?” He bit her bottom lip, then kissed her again, flicking his tongue in and out until she was wet and squirming. This discussion was exciting her body all over again. Was it mad to be wildly in love with and hungry for one’s husband? It certainly wasn’t proper, but with Owen she knew she’d have to leave all propriety behind to enjoy life with him.

  “Full of trouble sounds like it might be a good thing.” He rolled her onto her back and slid between her parted thighs, thrusting inside hard and fast. The sensation of the sudden fullness made her gasp and arch her back. He didn’t let up, the wild rush of this joining so different from what they’d done a short while ago. Clawing his back, she hissed in pleasure and nipped his neck. He growled and trembled above her, and she laughed against his skin. She never could have imagined this, a mating of two bodies so pleasurable that it bordered on the point of pain. She wanted more, so much more.

  “Yes, Owen, yes,” she whispered, her breathing ragged. It wasn’t just the sex she was agreeing to, but something more, something she was so afraid to say except to tell him yes. His answering reply dared to give her hope.

  “Anything for you,” he promised. In that moment, she believed him. She could have anything with him, and he with her.

  Chapter 13

  The morning after Owen had come home, Milly awoke, smiling, and then wincing as her lower body protested with soreness. Last night had been wonderful, explosive, and certain more feminine parts of her were feeling the effects of her and Owen’s bedplay. Despite the discomfort, she still grinned and let out a breathless giggle of pure happiness. She didn’t regret anything. Last evening had been wonderful. Owen was home and they would be working side by side again. It truly felt like her home now, too.

  The last week or so she’d worked alongside the staff to make Wesden Heath hospitable again, and the pride from knowing she’d helped to make a difference made her almost bursting with joy.

  The bedroom door opened and Owen came in, holding a breakfast tray.

  “Morning, sweetheart. I took the liberty of taking this from Constance so she could see to her other duties.” He set the tray across her lap and kissed her lips.

  “Thank you.” Milly put one hand up to cover the spreading blush on her cheeks.

  “I thought you might like to join me and Jack for luncheon before we go into town.”

  “You and Jack were planning to go to town?” It wasn’t that she was jealous of Jack, but…he’d sworn last night to stay with her, to spend time with her after the last ten days apart. The last thing she wanted was to feel alone when her husband only lay beside her at night and spent no time with her during the day. Did that mean his only interest la
y in her between the sheets? As pleasing as that was…she couldn’t survive in a marriage based only on sex. She’d always wanted love and equality, not just physical intimacy, and she’d hoped that Owen was the same.

  “I planned to only take you into town, but I realized we ought to force Jack to go with us. Fresh air being good for his constitution and all that. I was merely uncertain whether luncheon would interest you or not.”

  His reply made her heart flutter, but she tried to stay calm, not wanting him to know just how much that meant to her. She picked up a piece of toast and spread liberal amounts of marmalade over it. “What do you need to do in town?”

  “Books. I’m afraid I read through most of the stack Hampton bought me while I was with Jack in London. My library here is quite lacking in decent novels. It’s all political essays and historical treatises on various governments of France, Italy, and Spain. Not in the least bit interesting to me.”

  A giggle escaped her. “You’re quite serious?”

  He laughed and walked over to his dresser, where he opened the top drawer and pulled out a book. Her book. The copy of She that she’d been reading on their ride to Wesden Heath that first night.

  “I finished this and need to return it to you.” He held the book out to her, but when she reached for it, he leaned down to whisper against her lips a quote she had underlined with a pen.

  “Yea, all things live forever, though at times they sleep and are forgotten.”

  Milly laughed and kissed him back before quoting from Allan Quatermain. “Passion is like the lightning, it is beautiful and it links the earth to heaven, but alas it also blinds.”

  The corners of his eyes crinkled with faint lines as he grinned.

  “Hmmm…shall we spark a bit of lightning, wife?” He nibbled her lips as he rested one hand against the bed frame behind her. She curled her fingers into his shirt, holding him prisoner for more of those deep, all-consuming kisses of his. After several long moments, she let him go and their mouths parted with reluctance.