The Cinder Earl's Christmas Deception

by Em Taylor

  He undid the ribbon fastening her gown and helped her out of it, then loosened her stays. She sat at the dressing table and undid the simple knot Tilly had fashioned for her earlier. Her hair was still damp. It had dried a little beside the fire while Gabriel had been bathing but it had not been nearly long enough.

  Gabriel was out of his coat and waistcoat and had slipped off his shoes and stockings. He was standing behind her.

  “May I undo your braid? I shall retie it before we go to sleep. I have not run my fingers through my wife’s hair yet. I was itching to do it when you were bathing but did not want to upset Tilly.”

  Kathleen nodded and watched him as he ran his fingers through the long mane to loosen the braid. When at last his fingers moved freely, she moaned her pleasure and laid her head back against his stomach. He dropped his hands to her shoulders.

  “You are exhausted. It has been a frightful evening. Come, the sooner we get to sleep, the better you shall feel.”

  “Yes.” Was he not going to bed her tonight? Well, that was disappointing. He re-braided her hair but in a looser braid than Tilly had created and helped her on with her nightgown. He then removed the rest of his clothes. She noticed he ignored the nightshirt laid out for him and slipped into bed beside her.

  He pulled her into his arms but she wriggled free.

  “Why are you naked and I am not?”

  “I never wear anything to bed.”

  “Well, now that we are wed, neither do I.” And she sat up and pulled the nightgown off.

  “Kathleen.”

  “Yes, my lord?”

  He ran a hand over her back and she grimaced. He was looking at those bruises again.

  “Do they hurt?”

  “No.” She was telling the truth for the most part. They were slightly sore but nothing terrible. He shifted, and she felt the soft caress of his lips over her spine and then her ribs.

  “I was not going to do this,” he muttered. “I was going to let you rest.”

  “I do not need rest, Gabriel. I need you.”

  He continued to kiss her back as he snaked one hand around to cup her breast and pinch her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. She realised her hair was falling loose again. He had obviously undone his own braid and swiped the mane of damp blonde curls over her shoulder as he continued up her back and over her bare shoulder to her neck.

  “How am I to resist you?”

  He moved then, laying her gently back on the pillows then settling himself between her open legs. Then he just looked his fill smiling as he ran one hand up and down one of her thighs. He looked very pleased with himself.

  “What are you thinking, my lord?”

  “That I am the luckiest man alive.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you agreed to be my wife and you are perfect.”

  Kathleen looked down at her over-large breasts and grimaced. She suspected she also could do with losing a little weight around her hips and stomach too.

  “I am not perfect, my lord.” Her gaze fell on the rippling muscles of her husband’s stomach and the large thick shaft proudly pointing almost vertically and glistening at the tip. Now Gabriel was perfect.

  Gabriel leaned over her and captured her mouth in a kiss. It was slow and sensual and did not contain the usual heat and desperation that his kisses had carried when they had been about to do the deed the past few times. His fingers caressed her body—her breasts, her stomach, her womanhood, her thighs, behind her knee. Tickles, caresses, pinches—all manner of sensations and Kathleen was aware of a slow burning desire in her, like a fire burning in a grate catching the coals. He moved over her, his shaft rubbing her most sensitive area but not penetrating her.

  He broke the kiss and moved his mouth to her ear, biting the lobe gently.

  “God, Kathleen, I need to be inside you soon.” She ran her hands down his back. The skin was soft with a slight sheen of sweat already forming. Then she cupped his rounded backside and squeezed. He groaned and nipped her lobe harder before pressing his lips to her neck. He peppered gentle kisses down her neck along her collarbone and over her chest. When he moved and his hard length broke contact with the aching flesh between her thighs, she moaned her protest. He chuckled and pressed his fingers to her core to continue the delightful pressure. More pleasure spiked through her and she rutted against his hand. His mouth covered one nipple and she gasped at the added sensations, moving her hand up to grip his hair and guide him.

  “Gabriel, I want to give you pleasure too.”

  He lifted his head and grinned at her.

  “Oh my love, I am experiencing much pleasure doing this.”

  “You are?”

  He licked and suckled at her other nipple and made a sound as if he were eating a particularly delicious dessert. “I am,” he breathed against the flesh of her ample breast.

  Kathleen had not thought she could get more aroused when he had been on top of her and rubbing his shaft against her core but it seemed that was untrue. When his fingers pushed inside her, she thought she may die of pleasure as his thumb strummed her pearl.

  And then just when she thought she could take it no more, her body exploded in a burst of pleasure that burned through her from her centre to the tips of the toes and fingers to the roots of her hair. Little white lights sparkled behind her eyelids and Gabriel, who had seemed to realise it was about to happen and had moved up her body, smothered her cry of release with his kiss.

  And before she had fully recovered, he was slipping his long, hard shaft into her, watching intently as he thrust, first slowly, then more quickly into her. She wrapped her legs and arm around him and he settled onto his forearms. His lips descended on hers and again her body started to burn with need. Her hips rocked in a counter motion to his. He broke the kiss.

  “Dammit, you’re so special, so passionate.” His rhythm speeded up again and held her gaze. She reached up with one hand and cupped his cheek. He turned his face to press a kiss to her palm, but he continued to thrust into her and his gaze never left hers.

  “I love you too, Gabriel.” He grinned.

  “I wondered how long it would take.” Then he pushed a hand between then and teased her just above where they were joined. She writhed against him and knew another release was imminent. This time, when she arched her back and allowed the wave of pleasure to rush through her, she stifled her moan of pleasure. Gabriel cursed as his rhythm broke and he thrust a couple more time into her as his seed bathed her insides.

  Gabriel collapsed atop her and she pressed a kiss to his ear. When that did not make him respond, she swirled her tongue around the shell of his ear. He chuckled against her arm.

  “What are you doing, wife?”

  “I am finding out if you are alive.”

  “My heart is pounding out of my chest. If that constitutes alive, then I am well and truly alive.”

  He rolled off her and pulled her to him. “I should bank that fire. I forgot to do it before I climbed into bed. I am not used to a room with a fire.”

  “Are you not cold at night?”

  “No. I am used to it.”

  “I see. I am always cold.”

  “Then you can have my share of the blankets. I just need one and a sheet.”

  “Even in winter?”

  “Even then.”

  He climbed out of bed and banked the fire for the night then walked around to her side, urged her to sit up, ran a brush quickly through her hair and braided it. He washed between her legs before laying everything back on the dressing table. She loved how much care he took of her. It was very thoughtful. He then moved back around to his side, adjusted the covers so that she had most of them, blew out the single candle on his bedside table and closed his arms around her.

  She ran her hand over his hips. She liked his hip for some reason.

  He lifted her hand and pressed it to his lips.

  “My darling Countess, I do hope you are not trying to commence round two. It is time for s
leep.”

  “I was not. I was just… enjoying the feel of you near me.”

  “Well, I suggest you enjoy the feel of me further away from parts of me that might think round two is commencing.”

  She chuckled and then drew a heavy sigh.

  “What is the sigh for?”

  “I am just aware how blessed I am. I do not believe I would be at all happy with Cedric. And yet by sheer chance, here I am with you. But it is not your title that means anything. If the roles were reversed, and you were the illegitimate son and Cedric the heir, I should still prefer you, because you are the better man.”

  He ran the tips of his fingers soothingly down her back and back up before he spoke. “I am so very glad Stalwood, Beattie and Christina convinced me to marry you. Of course, I did not want you to marry Cedric but I must confess I did not think it possible to just take you to wife myself. And my pride was hurt at the idea of accepting money from friends to support us.”

  “I think father shall come around and give us my dowry.”

  “Did your great-aunt not tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “She is giving me your inheritance from her. She has already given me a bag of coins. That was in the belt I had around my waist. It is sitting over there.”

  “I… I saw no belt. I… was looking at your bottom when you were getting undressed.”

  He snickered like a horse and patted her bottom. “I like your bottom too.”

  “Tell me about the inheritance and stop talking about bottoms, Gabriel.”

  “You started it. When she called me to your home this morning she gave me gold coins which I can take to the bank and trade for money. She said she shall send the rest when she gets back to America.”

  “I see.”

  “And this is my inheritance, from her.”

  “Apparently so. You are to get it when she dies. I tried to say no, but she made me feel terribly guilty and that I would be allowing you to starve if I did not take it.”

  “She is good at manipulating people. Do not feel bad. So we have some money to start out with.”

  “It appears so. I shall invest it. Stalwood is good at investing. I believe so are Beattie and Kirkbourne. I shall take their advice.”

  “Good.”

  “You sound sleepy, my love.”

  Kathleen curled onto her side with her head on his shoulder.

  “I am. I should have liked to have made love again like we did on the day of our wedding but…” she yawned suddenly and stretched her limbs to try to make herself more comfortable in the strange bed. Gabriel kissed the top of her head.

  “We have years ahead of us.” He tilted her chin and kissed her lightly. “Until tomorrow. Good night, my love.” Then he threw most of the blankets over her and settled her against his side.

  Chapter 20

  Kathleen woke and peeked through the curtains of the bed, aware that it was daylight. So it must be quite late. She glanced at Gabriel and was unable to stifle the laugh that escaped her. The fire had obviously been set sometime in the early morning and Gabriel must have found it too hot because he had turned onto his stomach and had just a corner of the sheet covering his back. His bare backside and his legs stuck out from the small portion of the sheet. She had a terrible urge to sink her teeth into that perfect round curve.

  Her laugh must have woken him because he lifted his head with a start and peered around through half-closed eyes. He blinked a number of times and Kathleen was sure he was trying to work out where he was and what exactly was going on. He glanced at her and his lips slowly curved into a smile as memories of yesterday must have started to come back to him.

  “Kathleen?”

  “Yes, Gabriel.”

  “What time is it?”

  She glanced at the clock on the mantel.

  “Just after nine o’clock.”

  “Good God, I have not slept until this time since I was at Oxford.”

  He turned over and pulled himself into a sitting position. It was then that she noticed he was already hard. He followed her gaze and grimaced.

  “Gentlemen sometimes wake up already hard. We call it a morning cock stand.” He shrugged.

  She moved towards him and pressed a kiss to his lips allowing the sheet she had been holding against her breasts to fall. Gabriel deepened the kiss and then urged her to straddle his legs. Soon their tongues were stroking each other’s hard and fast and Gabriel’s fingers were caressing her body everywhere. She moaned into his mouth as she slid her wet heat against his hard shaft.

  “Gabriel, this feels so good,” she whispered against his mouth.

  “It is supposed to,” he chuckled.

  “First thing in the morning?”

  “There are no rules as to when a man and his wife can make love. Now lift yourself up.” She did and he clasped himself and positioned the tip of his erection at her opening. She cast a doubtful look at him but he nodded encouragingly.

  “Sit back down, slowly and carefully.”

  “Are you sure, Gabriel?”

  “I am, but if, once you try it, you dislike it, we can roll over and do it the way we did last night.”

  She slid down his shaft and once fully seated atop him she let out her breath slowly.

  “This is how we men ride horses,” he said, a smile curving his lips.

  “Are you calling yourself a horse, my lord?”

  “I am yours to command, my lady, just like a horse.”

  “It feels rather odd. You feel bigger.”

  “I’m just deeper inside you. Is it hurting?”

  “No. Then try moving.” She did and soon she was moving with abandon until they were both crying out their releases.

  Kathleen thought afterwards that perhaps she could get used to having marital relations in the morning because the rest of the day, despite the difficulties and the travel, went by in a haze of happiness because she only had to think of Gabriel’s face as he spilled his seed into her and she felt all warm and tingly.

  Kathleen supposed married life to the Earl of Cindermaine may very well suit her.

  ∞∞∞

  “What is the matter, Gabriel?”

  “Nothing. It is snowing.” Gabriel was staring out of the carriage window, worry gnawing at him. They must be ten miles from Marchby and the sky was dark and heavy looking. Large flakes of snow clouded his view, so it was probably on for the duration. Kathleen leaned past him to look out.

  “It is so pretty.”

  “It is not pretty, Kathleen. It is damned dangerous for the horses. What if we get stuck in it?”

  Kathleen snorted. “Gabriel, the horses will be fine if we slow down. It is not icy underfoot, so they will be making the trail and if the carriage gets stuck, then we dig it out. I have lived in New Hampshire and Boston all my life. This is nothing. We have this amount of snow in November. We can be waist deep in it on occasion. Really Gabriel, there is no need to be such a… such a…” She waved her hand dismissively.

  He sat back in his seat and scowled at her.

  “English drivers and horses are not used to the snow. It is different here.”

  “We shall cope. Stop looking so worried. We have overcome so much already. Even my father is coming around.”

  “He threatened to cut my ballocks off, my love.”

  “Only at first. Then Nate described what happened at Lady Arbuthnott’s house and I explained what happened at the Hammond’s and he calmed down considerably. Mama said she will talk to him. She can be quite formidable.”

  “Hmm, it is a pity she has not passed that trait onto her daughter,” Gabriel mused, the sarcasm dripping from his tone.

  “I am only formidable when you are vexing me, my lord.”

  They rode on for miles and every time that Gabriel looked out the window and frowned, Kathleen clucked her tongue and shook her head as if he was being a fussing old lady. Each time he sat back, she patted his arm soothingly. He had called out of the window a couple of tim
es to ask the driver if he was well and the driver had assured him that a little snow never killed anyone. Gabriel suspected that was not, in fact, true but chose not to comment for fear of being berated by his wife.

  Eventually, the carriage rolled into the Marchby estate. Kathleen craned her head to see out of the window and marvelled at the fourteenth-century castle which had been fully maintained and updated as the years had gone by.

  Gabriel’s gaze shifted to the tower and the battlement where his mother had jumped to her death and coldness crept into his bones. Had this been a bad idea?

  “We have a bright future ahead of us Gabriel. The past cannot be undone, and no one can remove your memories, but we can make happy ones here.”

  It was as if she could read his very thoughts.

  “I have no idea what you are talking about, my lady” he answered stiffly. Kathleen’s jaw tightened, and she nodded and turned to look back out of the window, but the hurt in her eyes was unmistakable.

  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck, his hand slipping up to cup her breast.

  “I love you,” he said.

  She shrugged out of his hold and he pushed himself back against the squabs. She may as well have slapped him on the cheek.

  “You are angry with me,” he said.

  She sighed. “Not angry. Disappointed. First, you snap at me for trying to be understanding and helping you see a brighter future then you think that kissing me and massaging my breast somehow makes your outburst better.”

  “Devil take it, Kathleen. I am doing the very best I can. I am not used to…”

  “You have already used that excuse, Gabriel. I am not society. I care not if you spill your tea in your saucer then do not know what the protocol is. I care that you apologise when you are in the wrong.”

  “Was I in the wrong, or were you patronising me, my lady?”

  “It was not patronising. Gabriel, we shall survive, and we shall be happy—if not here, then somewhere. If not with servants and carriages and balls during the Season, then with each other in a cottage in the country. We shall have each other and our children. We have Christina and Myles, Aunt Matilda, Lord and Lady Beattie, the Duke and Duchess, and hopefully my parents and Teresa. But if not, we shall still manage. We have each other and I am sure I can find someone who can teach me how to do household chores. You are not afraid of hard work.”