After removing his fingers, he ended the kiss long enough to pull down his trousers and both of their undergarments, which happened quickly, given his excitement. He hurried to settle on top of her, only able to get a glance at the flesh between her legs as he did so. The image was enough to make him groan with need.
She brought him into her arms and wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing him the perfect opportunity to enter her. And he took it. He pressed into her, her silken folds surrounding him, tight and warm. He let out a moan and stopped for a moment to savor the initial pleasure of being inside her. She’d felt incredible when his fingers were in her, but this was so much better.
Unable to remain still any longer, he began moving inside her. It seemed as if she’d been made specifically for him. Her flesh wrapped securely around him, welcoming him as if they’d always been together. He went almost all the way out and then back in, and soon established a rhythm, noting that it was easier to move inside her with each thrust.
Each thrust also brought him closer and closer to the inevitable moment when he’d release his seed. He was enjoying this so much he didn’t ever want it to end. He struggled to distract himself by thinking of other things, but that only made him aware that she was working with him, lifting her hips to meet each thrust.
When he opened his eyes, he noticed hers were closed. His gaze went lower, and he noticed her other breast had been freed from the dress, which gave him the most lovely view imaginable. Two breasts bouncing in unison with their movements. And that image was his undoing. Gasping, he grew taut and released his seed. He let out another groan as waves of pleasure coursed through him.
He had figured the climax would feel good. He’d taken care of his needs in the past enough to know this, but this actually felt much more intense than any of those times had. With a moan, he willed the feeling to last as long as it could. But much too soon, the climax receded, and he was brought back to earth.
Weak, he collapsed in her arms, his heart still racing and his breathing ragged. When his head cleared, he lifted himself up on his elbows and kissed her. He didn’t know how it was possible, but he felt closer to her, and he hoped she felt the same. He’d like to think this was the point where things would change for the better, that she might understand he wasn’t going to be the same person who had invited her to his dinner party.
He didn’t dare ask her if she felt close to him after this act. What if she said no? What if she said this was something she was expected to do, so she did it? He knew the rules of the Ton. Wives were for heirs. Mistresses were for pleasure.
He wanted to tell her that he didn’t want lovemaking to be something done out of duty. He wanted it to be something they could both enjoy, that he’d only take his pleasure with her. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It was easier, instead, to kiss her and hold her for the next few minutes.
Afterwards, he gathered enough courage to whisper, “May I join you in bed tonight?”
A pretty blush graced her face as she nodded. “Yes, you may.”
Good. At least there was that. She was willing to do this with him again, and in the same evening. He got off of her and pulled up his undergarments and trousers. He’d just finished buttoning his trousers when she was standing by the couch, looking presentable. Minus her unkempt hair, no one would suspect what they’d been doing in here. Even he didn’t believe it. He had thought lovemaking should only be saved for the bedchamber.
“I didn’t bring you to the den, thinking we’d…” He cleared his throat. “Thankfully, I closed the door.”
She offered him a shy smile. “I didn’t mind. The couch is a comfortable one, and, as you said, the door was closed. I think we did a good job of being discreet.”
He took her hand and kissed it. Then, without another word, he led her to her bed.
Chapter Fifteen
When Warren woke up the next morning, he had his arm around Iris’ waist, and she had her back pressing up against his chest. He let out a contented sigh and remained still for the next few minutes, savoring the bliss they’d shared last night. Yes, they still had much to learn about each other, but he felt they were going to be all right despite their shaky beginning.
With a smile, he rose up on his arm and kissed her cheek. She remained fast asleep. The poor thing was exhausted. In his enthusiasm over making love to her, he’d kept her up through most of the night.
He, however, was far too excited to sleep. Noting a hint of daylight coming in through a sliver in the curtains, he released Iris and scooted over to the edge of the bed. He picked up the pocket watch he’d set on the table the night before and noted it was six in the morning.
That wasn’t surprising. He often got up at this time, unlike most gentlemen who slept in until almost noon. But then, they were used to carousing around London all through the night. For the life of him, he would never understand the appeal. The mind was at its best first thing in the morning.
He glanced over at Iris, who was still asleep. What time was she used to getting up? He suspected that she didn’t sleep late through the morning, but she probably didn’t make it a habit of getting up this early, either. And who knew if, being a lady, she could handle all the activity they’d done? Ladies, he’d heard, had delicate constitutions and had to be treated with care.
Which brought him to a pressing topic. How could he bring her pleasure in bed? Had she enjoyed anything they’d done last night? Maybe, in his excitement, he’d imagined that she gotten pleasure from it. He’d been so fascinated in his exploration of her, he hadn’t been able to focus on much else.
As loathe as he was to admit it, he needed Lord Edon’s book. It was either that or ask her if she liked what they’d done, but he’d rather die than let her know how inept he was at this sort of thing. It was far easier to engage in financial and political talk. At least those were topics he was confident about.
Well, that settled it. He’d go to White’s and pick up a copy of the book. Maybe if he went early, no one would be there. Ever since the book got voted in, Lord Edon had left a stack of them in the room where anyone could take a copy. Warren couldn’t be sure, but he thought Lord Edon was more than happy to do that instead of having gentlemen ask him for one.
Careful not to disturb Iris, Warren slipped out of bed and gathered his things. Then he went to his bedchamber through the door connecting their rooms. He softly closed the door so he wouldn’t wake her.
After that, it was a matter of taking a bath and getting dressed. Usually, his valet would give him a shave, but on this particular morning, he did it himself. By the time he was presentable, it was a little after seven.
Good. He still had plenty of time to get to White’s before it got crowded.
He went to the door connecting his room with Iris’ and slowly opened it. She was still asleep. He took a moment to study her. Why didn’t he notice she was an attractive lady when they’d met? It might not have been the striking beauty some ladies had, but it was beauty nonetheless. It was just quieter, subtler.
Maybe he’d been so focused on impressing her father he hadn’t noticed. He had been hoping to marry her for the sake of establishing a lifelong relationship with her father. The gentleman had influence in London, and many wanted to benefit from his wisdom.
But who would have guessed Iris could match her father in wisdom and intellect? Apparently, none of the bachelors had been any smarter than him, for there hadn’t been a line of them vying for her hand. It was just as well. Warren didn’t care for that kind of competition.
Warren went to his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment. After dipping his quill in the ink, he wrote Iris a note to let her know he had to run an errand but would be back soon. He almost added that the errand involved a book, but then she might ask what kind of book. And that would create a lot more questions he’d rather not answer.
So he left it as simple as possible and placed it on the vanity in her room. Then he went to get something to eat before he
ading out to White’s.
***
Iris stirred as she slowly came out of the world of dreams. The dreams had been so pleasant she lingered as long as she could. Warren was with her in all of them, and she felt enveloped in his love. There was no wondering what he thought of her. She’d been sure of his feelings.
But the dreams dissipated, giving way to the reality of what was really happening around her. With a sigh, she rolled onto her back. Immediately, she noted that Warren was gone. She sat up in bed, holding the blanket to her chest and saw that his clothes and the pocket watch were gone, too.
She shouldn’t be disappointed. She knew he didn’t love her. He probably wouldn’t ever love her. She questioned the wisdom in making it so easy for him to come to her bed. Well, she hadn’t even made him wait until he came to her bed. She’d willingly given herself to him in his den! What kind of husband respected a wife who practically threw herself at him?
She thought she’d built up some type of resistance to him. It’d taken great effort to pretend she didn’t care if he was with her before they married, and silly as it was, she thought she’d been able to erect a wall around her heart. But after he’d said a few sweet words to her and given her some attention, that stupid wall had come crumbling down. She had no idea her heart was such a fragile thing.
What a fool she was. When he had asked her to his dinner party, she’d said yes. Never mind he’d spent most of the afternoon talking with her father and had only stopped long enough to offer her a greeting. At the time she’d thought he had invited her to one of his dinner parties because he wished to get to know her better.
When she’d gone to the dinner, he spent all evening ignoring her, something Regan had been kind enough to point out. Even then, she’d said yes when he asked her to another one. She’d wanted to be with him so badly she was willing to give him another chance.
It was nothing but blind hope that kept making her do everything she could to please him. When would she finally learn he didn’t love her? He never had, and he never would.
She glanced over at the empty spot next to her. Now that he’d made the attempt at getting an heir, her use was worn out, at least until he needed to try again. She got out of the bed, willing the tears back. She hated crying. It was a sign of weakness. But no matter how hard she tried, a few tears escaped and slid down her cheeks.
She had to get out of here. She needed time to regroup. She went to her wardrobe and selected the clothes she wanted to wear for the morning. Then she hurried to the washbasin and cleaned up, spending considerable time patting her eyes and cheeks so no one would suspect she’d been crying. Worse than crying was for people to know she’d been doing it.
After she was able to get a hold of her emotions, she dressed. Usually, her lady’s maid would do it, but she didn’t want to see anyone at the moment. All she wanted to do was get out of this townhouse.
She ran her fingers through her hair and then pulled it back into a bun, a task she managed without any pins. Then she grabbed a hat from the top shelf in the wardrobe and put it on her head. Her mother would be appalled if she knew Iris was going to leave the room without checking her reflection in the mirror above the vanity, but that was exactly what Iris did. Why should she care about the way she looked? She had no one to impress.
She left the room and hurried down the stairs, hoping she might get to the door before any of the servants did, but the butler happened to come into the entryway at the very moment her hand was on the doorknob.
“My lady,” he called out, rushing to her, “let me get the door for you.”
She almost told him she could do it herself, but she decided it’d be easier if she let him do as he wished.
As he opened the door, he asked, “Lord Steinbeck went to White’s. He said he should be back within the hour. Would you like to leave him a message?”
“No,” she forced out then passed through the doorway and quickly made her way down the steps.
If she said any more than that, she might very well burst into a new wave of tears. White’s? The first thing on Warren’s mind had been to leave this townhouse and go to a gentleman’s club?
Don’t think about it. You’ll only open yourself up to new wounds if you think about it.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, her steps quickened as she made her way down the sidewalk. She wasn’t sure where she was going. All she knew was that she needed to get away from anything that reminded her of her husband. And the sooner she did that, the better.
A carriage pulled up next to her and someone called out, “Lady Steinbeck, may I have a word with you?”
Her steps came to a halt as she looked over at the unfamiliar carriage. It had the same crest Warren had on his carriage, but it didn’t belong to him. Her gaze went to the door as it opened. A gentleman peered out at her, and it took her a moment to realize it was Warren’s half-brother.
“I can take you wherever you need to go,” Byron added. “I didn’t get a chance to properly introduce myself.”
She hesitated. If she recalled right, there had been something about him that had given her an unsettling feeling yesterday. “Oh, well…” She shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m in a hurry. A friend needs to see me,” she finally lied, deciding it’d be best if she listened to that small voice warning her not to go with him.
“That’s all the more reason to accept my offer,” he replied. “You’ll get there quicker in a carriage than you will by foot.”
“She isn’t that far. I’ll be happy to talk to you at another time.” When Warren was there. Even if Warren had deeply hurt her, at least she knew she was safe with him.
Hoping to put an end to the conversation, she smiled a good-bye and started walking again. But she hadn’t made it five steps when someone grabbed her from behind and put his hand over her mouth. She struggled to get away from him, but he proved to be much stronger than her. Almost without effort, he dragged her to the carriage and pushed her into it.
Byron, who was still in the carriage, reached for her and pulled her onto his lap, his arms securing her in place. The door slammed shut as she screamed.
“It won’t do you any good to protest,” Byron said, a warning laced with the forced politeness in his voice.
“Let me go,” she snapped, trying to wiggle away from him.
The carriage began moving, and panic took hold of her. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all! She slapped him, but he raised his hand and slapped her back, the force of the impact making her ears ring.
“Now, you listen to me,” he hissed, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her closer to him so that his breath was on her face. “If you keep quiet, no harm will come to you. It’s not you I’m after. I need something from your husband, and you’re the only thing I can use to get it. Once I get what I want, you’ll be free to go.”
She didn’t know if it was the shock of being abducted or the weeks of being stuck in a state of hopeless despair, but she started laughing at the absurdity of it all. “Your brother doesn’t want me. He won’t give you anything.”
“You consummated your marriage, didn’t you?”
The question—so blunt—quieted her laughter. In its place was the heat of humiliation that rose up in her face.
“You were indeed a virgin until yesterday,” he said. “Only a lady who’d been untouched would blush like that. Well, then that means you’re all the more valuable to him. You might be carrying his heir. So you see, he’ll want you.”
He shifted and pulled her off of him. Then he plopped her beside him in the seat. She took a deep breath, hoping it would help steady her nerves, but the ache on the side of her head made her wince. She rubbed the side of her face and turned away from him. Tears stung her eyes, so she blinked them away. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of crying. Under no circumstance must she let him know he could make her cry.
She forced her attention to the window, noting they were heading out of London. “Where are you ta
king me?” she asked once she could trust herself to speak without her voice wavering.
“Home.”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “Home?”
“Yes. You’re going to get the chance to meet your husband’s family. Did he tell you he has a stepmother and a half-sister?”
Warren hadn’t told her anything about his family, which was probably another indication he didn’t care for her. If he had cared, he would have told her something. That was the kind of thing husbands who loved their wives did. But then, she hadn’t been under the delusion he wanted to be with her. Not in the way she wanted to be wanted anyway.
“Oh well,” Byron said, his tone indicating he found the situation somewhat amusing. “The fact that you might be with child will be enough to get him to come home. Take comfort in that. You have some use to offer him.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat and kept her gaze on the activity on the street around her. The only thing she really could take comfort in was knowing Byron had no intention of killing her. She rubbed the side of her face again and released a long breath. For the moment, there was nothing she could do. She’d just have to bide her time.
Maybe when she reached an inn, she could find a way to escape. And if that didn’t work out, perhaps she might get Byron’s mother and sister to help her. Certainly ladies would be sympathetic to the plight of someone who’d been abducted against her will. Yes, if all else failed, she’d seek their help. So all hope wasn’t lost. She just needed to bide her time. She’d done it when it came to investing, and she could do it now. Patience. It just required patience.
Chapter Sixteen
On impulse, Warren made a trip to a bookstore on his way to White’s to purchase a new book on investing that he thought Iris might like to read with him. After he made his purchase, he went to White’s, and as soon as he realized there were five gentlemen already there, he wished he’d skipped the bookstore and come here right away instead. Since the gentlemen were sitting at a table playing cards, he hoped he might be able to sneak in unawares. Such luck, however, wasn’t on his side.
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