by Noelle Adams
The news of their engagement hit Pemberley House and the town of Abingdon like a meteor. It was prime gossip for several weeks as everyone declared how they’d known all along there was something between Em and Ward or else shook their heads about how it had come out of nowhere and wasn’t likely to last.
Ward didn’t care what everyone else thought. Em loved him. He knew it for sure. And she was going to be his forever.
It was more than he’d ever dreamed he could have.
A month after they’d gotten engaged, he woke up on a Saturday morning to discover it was after eight in the morning. He looked to the other side of the bed to see that Em was still sleeping, her hair spread out over the pillow and her lips parted just a little.
Ward’s heart did a little stumble at the sight of her.
He still had a hard time processing that this was his life now. That Em was his for good.
He rolled over onto his side and gently shook her shoulder. “Em. Em, it’s eight.”
“Huh?” Her eyes were still closed, but she was scowling slightly.
“It’s after eight. Do you need to get up?”
She took a deep breath and blew it out. Then she opened her eyes and looked at the clock. She sat up and then slumped back down. “No. Dad would have called if he needed me. It’s Saturday. I don’t want to get up yet.”
Ward smiled and opened his arms when she scooted closer to him. He held her close as she settled against him.
Her cheek was pressed against his bare skin, and one of her hands trailed up and down his chest. He loved how she always wanted to touch him.
“I like that you have chest hair,” she said after a minute. There was a smile in her voice.
Ward arched his eyebrows. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I do. It’s fun to play with. And you don’t look all buff and shiny and plasticky.”
Chuckling, he ran his hand down the length of her hair. “I don’t look buff?”
“You know what I mean. Your physique is very nice. Nothing to complain about at all. I just mean you look real. Not... shiny. I like it.”
“I’m glad you like it because I’m not planning to do anything about the hair.”
She adjusted so she could press a kiss against his shoulder. Then his chest just over his nipple. She lifted her head to smile down at him, her hair spilling over her shoulders and onto his chest, and it was the sexiest thing Ward had ever seen.
He felt a responding twitch at his groin.
“What if I decided not to do anything about my hair?” she asked in that warm, husky voice she only used in the bedroom.
“I love your hair.” He stroked the soft fall of it.
She shook with silent laughter. “That’s not the hair I’m talking about. What if I decided not to do anything about my other hair?”
He laughed and ran his hands down her body, feeling the graceful dip of her back, the swell of her tight bottom, the softness of her thighs beneath her pajamas. “I don’t give a damn about body hair. If you don’t want to shave your legs and armpits, you don’t have to.”
“What if I don’t want to shave... other places?” She was still gazing down on him with that irresistibly alluring smile.
“You don’t have to shave there either. There’s nothing in the world I care less about.” He pulled her down into a soft kiss and said against her lips, “I like that you’re real too.”
She giggled and kissed him back. “I’ll probably keep shaving.” She rubbed her pelvis against his, and she was sure to notice that he was getting hard. “Most of the time.”
He deepened the kiss with a slow, intentional passion, wanting to make sure he took his time and made her feel as good as he possibly could. As their lips and tongues moved together, he ran his hands up and down her body, playing with the curves and the crevices and finding all her favorite spots.
She pulled off him just long enough for them to take their clothes off, and then she was kissing him again, her full weight pressing down into him and their legs twined together.
He could hear her breathing accelerating. Feel her body tightening. She was growing aroused, and it was the most intoxicating sensation. That he could make her feel that way.
After a long time, he finally explored between her legs and thrilled when he discovered how wet she was. He pumped his fingers inside her until she came all around him, biting down wetly on his shoulder as her body shook through the climax.
She was flushed and gasping and smiling as she finally lifted her head to meet his eyes. “You spoil me,” she said.
“As much as I can.”
“But now it’s your turn.”
“No arguments here.”
He was as hard as a rock, and he groaned helplessly when she reached down to take him in her hand. She played with him for a minute and then leaned down to take him full in her mouth.
He gasped and moaned uninhibitedly and probably would have embarrassed himself by coming too soon if she hadn’t let him slip out of her mouth.
She grinned down at him, and he couldn’t resist. He pulled her back over him, aligning himself at her entrance and helping her sheathe him with the warm, tight clasp of her body.
Then he pulled her back down into a kiss as they moved together urgently.
He recovered his control, so he was able to make it last. She came again, tightening deliciously around him, and then kept coming, crying out her pleasure as she rode him hard.
They were rocking together in hard, urgent thrusts that banged the bed against the wall when he finally lost the reins of his restraint. He bellowed out as climax coiled down and then released in hard waves of pleasure.
They were very wet from her release and his as they gasped and clung to each other after the contractions finally faded.
“I love you,” Em whispered against the side of his neck.
He tightened his arms around her. “I love you too, sweetheart.”
“This was a good way to wake up on a Saturday morning.”
“Yes. It definitely was.” His body was warm and replete, and Em was still in his arms. He didn’t have any plans for today, other than taking it easy. He had no complaints in the world.
They dozed together for a few minutes until Em finally groaned and rolled off him. “I really need to pee and clean myself up.”
“Go right ahead. I can’t move yet.”
“I don’t want to move either.”
“Then don’t.”
“But I have to pee.”
He chuckled. “Well, you do have a dilemma, don’t you?”
She snarled as she hauled herself out of bed with a soft moan. “You aren’t nearly as sympathetic as you should be.”
“I’ve got my own dilemmas.”
She paused in her route to the bathroom. “What are those?”
“Being thirteen years older than you and trying to keep up.”
She giggled and blew a kiss at him. “I think you do pretty well. I’ve got no complaints.”
Ward was smiling in her direction as she disappeared into the bathroom. After a few minutes, she came back and started pulling on the clothes she’d worn over there last night.
“I just called Stella’s and asked them to bring over a box of pastries,” she said, sitting on the side of the bed. “I’m going to hang out with Liz, Jane, and Anne this morning, but you can come over too.”
“Will Vince and Charlie be there?”
“Probably. It won’t just be the girls.”
“All right. Then I’ll probably make an appearance.”
She’d put on her shoes when her phone chirped with a text. She glanced down at it. Stared for a minute. And then started to laugh.
Ward sat up. “What is it?”
“You’re never going to believe it. The perfect end to my campaign as Riot’s mentor.”
“Tell me.”
Em shook her head with a warm smile. “She’s taken a job with her friend who’s a party planner.”
Ward checked
her expression, but he couldn’t see any sign of disappointment. “I know that wasn’t your first choice for her, but she’ll probably be great at it and really enjoy it.”
“I know. I was wrong for trying to push her into something that wasn’t right for her. I’m happy for her. And for me since I think my time as her mentor is pretty much over.”
He pulled her into a quick hug. “I’m sure you can find someone else to help soon.”
“We’ll see. But for now the world will have to do without the benefit of my brilliant advice.”
“You can always give that advice to me.”
Her smile was like sunshine as she started to leave the bedroom. “I probably will, as long as you return the favor.”
“It’s a deal.”
Epilogue
SIX MONTHS LATER, EM opened her eyes with the knowledge that something really good was happening.
It took her a moment to orient herself to her surroundings, but she eventually processed the European-style hotel room around her and morning sun streaming in around the edges of the curtained glass door.
She sucked in a breath and raised her left hand to look.
On it was the engagement ring Ward had given her several months ago and a gold wedding band that was only two days old.
She beamed at her hand for far too long.
Eventually she lowered it and rolled onto her side so she was facing Ward. He was still sound asleep, his hair sticking up in all directions and two days’ worth of dark stubble on his face. His mouth was just slightly open.
She beamed at him for just as long as she’d beamed at her rings.
She was tempted to wake him up so she could share her excitement with him, but they’d had a long red-eye flight and then most of a day of sightseeing before they’d been able to check into their hotel. She’d been able to sleep some on the flight, but Ward hadn’t. He was tired.
It would be mean to wake him up.
When the temptation grew too strong, she grabbed her phone, pulled on a pretty pink silk robe that matched her pajamas, and then managed to open the glass door onto the balcony without letting too much daylight into the room.
Their hotel room had a small balcony overlooking a quiet Paris street. She sat down at one of the two chairs at the tiny bistro table and gazed down happily.
The April morning was cool and brisk but not uncomfortable. There were clouds in the sky, but it didn’t look like it would rain. The air rising up from the street smelled like cars and bread and coffee.
It was perfect.
It was Paris.
She’d never been there before.
She’d never been anywhere before that was farther than a half-day’s drive away from home.
She’d talked to her father before his bedtime the day before. He’d told her about his headaches and how Anne didn’t get his coffee quite right and how Liz talked just a little too loud, but after a few minutes of that, he’d seemed to realize what he was doing and had assured her that he was just fine and she should enjoy herself. Before she’d hung up, he’d confirmed that she was just going to be gone for one week.
Liz and Anne had volunteered to housesit with her father for the week of her honeymoon—as a wedding present to her. He’d never be happy with a stranger they’d hired, and he knew and liked Liz and Anne. He was perfectly capable of handling his personal needs on his own, so all they had to do was wait on him, make sure the place was picked up, and drive him to his appointments. They checked in regularly so she’d know that everything was fine. They didn’t want her to worry.
She did worry. A little. About her father and also about Liz and Anne. But they all seemed to be doing just fine.
After trying to calculate the time difference in her head, she determined her father should have already eaten lunch and should now be in his recliner resting. So she called him.
He answered in a characteristic fashion. “Hello, dear. I’m doing fine. A little bit of a headache.”
She smiled and shook her head. “I’m sorry about your headache. Has it been too bad?”
“No, no. Not too bad. Liz and Anne have been very helpful.”
“I’m glad. Your appointment went okay this morning?”
“Well, it wasn’t very helpful, but at least we didn’t have to wait very long before he took me back.”
“That’s good. And you got your lunch all right?”
“Yes. Anne fixed me a sandwich. I told her I could do it myself, but she wanted to do it for me. So I let her. That’s all right, isn’t it? I don’t want to take advantage of her helpfulness.”
Em laughed. It sounded like everything was running smoothly in her absence. “I’m sure it’s just fine, Dad. She wouldn’t have volunteered if she hadn’t wanted to do it. So are you just staying in this afternoon?”
“Yes. I need to rest, and Liz bought me a new book of puzzles, so I have plenty to do.”
“That sounds great then. I’m glad you’re doing all right.”
“Are you having fun?”
Em smiled again. “Yes. It’s just seven here, so I only just woke up. But we’ve got a big day of sightseeing planned. I’m excited.”
“I’m glad you’re having a good time.” He paused. “You’re not going to want to stay longer, are you?”
She tried not to giggle. “No. Definitely not. We’ll be back at the end of the week, just like we planned.”
“Okay. Well, have a good day, and say hello to Knightley for me. I’ll see you soon.”
“See you soon, Dad.”
She disconnected the call and relaxed back into her chair.
She replied to the texts from her friends that had come in while she was sleeping, and then she took a few pictures to post on Instagram.
Then she went back into the room as quietly as she could. She really needed some coffee.
The hotel was old and European style, but it had amenities to cater to American tourists, so there was a small one-cup-brew coffeepot in the room. She’d pulled the curtain closed when she’d come back in, since Ward was still sleeping, and she fumbled around with the water and coffee pods in the dark, trying to get it set up to make herself a cup.
“You can turn the light on.”
Em snickered at the sleepy sound of Ward’s voice. “I didn’t want to wake you up.”
“You already did, so it doesn’t matter now. Especially if you make me a cup of coffee.”
Em went to open the curtains while the first cup brewed. She brought it over to Ward, who’d propped himself up in bed, and then she made herself another and crawled under the covers beside him.
He put his arm around her so she could lean against him.
They drank their coffee in silence for a minute until Ward asked, “How’s your dad?”
“He’s good. I talked to him for a few minutes. He’s not perfectly happy without me, but he’s trying not to complain too much. I really think they’re all going to be fine.”
Ward pressed a soft kiss against her hair. “I think so too.”
“So maybe we can go on an occasional trip without too much problem.”
“That’s the plan.”
“I’d hate for you to be tied down, just because I am.”
Ward set down his coffee cup and reached up to cradle her face. “I’m not tied down, Em. With you is exactly where I want to be.”
Em’s expression was probably rather sappy, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. “Okay. Me too.”
He leaned down to give her a coffee-scented kiss. Sweet and slow but not deep. When he pulled away, he was smiling. “Have you made our plans for the day?”
Em frowned. “I have some ideas, but I’m not going to make definite plans without your input.”
“I told you we can do anything you want.”
“I know what you told me, but I want your opinions too.” She pulled away and climbed out of bed so she could grab the map and journal she’d been working on before going to sleep last night. Taking them with her
, she returned to bed. “But I’ve put together a tentative route and schedule.”
Ward’s face was soft and fond as he looked down at her notes. “That’s a lot for one day.”
“I know, but we only have a week here, and I may not ever come back, so I want to do everything I possibly can. We can cut things if we get tired.” She gave him a quick look. “That’s okay, isn’t it? You didn’t want to stay in bed and have sex all day, did you?”
His body shook with amusement as he wrapped his arms around her. “No. That’s not what I wanted. We have the rest of our lives to have sex. You’ve never gotten to travel before, so we’re going to do every single thing you want. Today we’re going to follow your route and explore Paris. We can have sex again tonight.”
Em giggled and rolled over on top of him. “You’re assuming we’ll have energy for sex after seeing all the sights.”
He framed her face with both his hands. “If we don’t, then that’s okay too. I want you to be happy, no matter what it takes.”
“I am happy,” she said, her voice slightly wobbly with emotion. “I’ve never been happier.”
“The truth is,” Ward admitted, “neither have I.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE: If you haven’t yet read it, the first Pemberley House book is In Want of a Wife. It’s about Liz and Vince and is inspired by Pride and Prejudice. The third Pemberley House book is Loved None But You, and it’s inspired by Persuasion. You can find an excerpt on the following pages.
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Excerpt from Loved None But You
LATE THAT AFTERNOON, Robert was sitting on the terrace of Vince and Liz’s condo in Pemberley House with his leg propped up and a glass of iced tea in his hand.
He felt like a lazy slug, since Vince had had to move all his stuff in for him. With his stupid leg, he couldn’t even do that.