“Library?” he repeated, one hand moving to pull down a sleeve of her shoulder.
“Mmm. It seemed appropriate,” she murmured, her own lips finally taking purchase on the top of his head, her fingernails barely scraping his scalp so that he suddenly jerked and lifted his lips from the top of her breasts.
“Tomorrow,” he whispered. “Before we leave,” he murmured, finally freeing one of her breasts from the confines of her corset before quickly suckling it. “It will take us some time to work through the upper rooms,” he said before freeing her other breast and seeing to it the nipple was thoroughly teased and kissed and suckled.
Evangeline couldn’t bite back the giggle as she realized what he’d said. “You intend us to make love in every room of the house?” she managed to get out between gasps. She reached down between them, sliding her hand down his front until it covered the bulge behind the placket of his satin breeches.
His breath hitched and he let go of her nipple. “Yes,” he said, sounding rather clear-headed. “No,” he suddenly added. “Not the cellar. I shouldn’t want you on the dirt floor,” he whispered before turning his attention back to her breasts.
“Oh,” Evangeline answered, not sure she was capable of saying anything else. But why would he think she would be the one on the floor of the cellar? Why not him? “You could be the one on the floor whilst I ride atop you,” she whispered, not quite sure why she encouraged lovemaking in the cellar, of all places.
Reluctantly, Jeffrey pulled away so that he could look in her the eyes, his brows furrowing as he realized what she’d said. “Eva!” he admonished her. “I thought you were a virgin!” he gasped, the glaze over his eyes clearing for a moment.
Evangeline stared back at him, stunned by his accusation. “I am,” she responded, but she took the opportunity to cup his arousal a bit harder.
Jeffrey jerked, pulling away suddenly. “You minx,” he accused as he seemed to come up for air. “You’ve read every book on sexual congress in your brother’s library, haven’t you?” he accused in a hoarse whisper, his voice so husky he barely recognized it as his own.
Her eyes widening until she could appear as demure as possible, Evangeline gave a slight shrug. “Maybe.”
His eyes forming slits in an attempt to seem predatory, Jeffrey lowered his head and returned his lips to her breasts.
Despite having read every book about sexual intercourse in her brother’s library, and studied the illustrations in those not written in English or French, she was discovering they all lacked the language to describe the sensations that gripped her body just then. She was reminded of the dream she’d had the night they’d been reading in the parlor, when she’d asked Jeffrey to kiss her.
She had dreamt of placing her hand over the back of his, of bringing it up to her breast, of helping him in taking down the sleeve of her gown so that he could more freely kiss her collar bone, the curve of her shoulder, the slight swell of her breast. The dream had been so vivid, she had imagined him kissing her nipple, drawing the pearled bud into his mouth as his lips took possession of her. Her entire body had shivered then, pleasant tingles darting from her breast to her very core, making her body shiver in delight. An intense sensation had her stilling, her nerve endings strung so tight she thought they might snap and leave her void of feeling.
But something Jeffrey had done with his lips and tongue had released that tension. And that release had been the most amazing sensation she had ever experienced. So it was no wonder she had opened her eyes, suddenly so awake and so alive, she thought she might never sleep again. The sight of Jeffrey, eyes glazed over as if he, too, had been sleeping, brought her back to the parlor and to the sounds of the butler snoring somewhere nearby.
The very same sensations she had felt that night were assaulting her again, only now, in the privacy of Jeffrey’s bedchamber, she felt comfortable enough to allow her breaths to sound out as gasps. “Jeffrey,” she whispered, a shiver darting through her breast. “Please undo the buttons,” she whispered, turning her body around.
Jeffrey’s lips had to let go of his prey, although one hand cupped the breast as she turned in his arms. He had to give up his hold on her to unbutton the gown. “I suppose I should have allowed you a few moments with your maid,” he whispered hoarsely, suppressing the urge to curse the fastenings. His fingers wanted to be doing other things – naughty things – and so they didn’t seem to work as well as they should. When he finally had enough buttons undone so that her gown slipped off her shoulders, Evangeline turned in his arms.
Jeffrey shook his head, and pulled her gown down until it fell past her hips and ended in a puddle of satin and tulle at her feet. He motioned with his finger for her to turn back around. “As much as I love looking at you in just ...” He motioned down the front of her to indicate her chemise, corset and stockings, “...These, I do believe you’ll be more comfortable out of them.”
Evangeline giggled, reaching for the knot of his cravat. “And you will be more comfortable out of everything you’re wearing,” she countered, flipping the undone ends of his cravat around his neck until it was completely unwound. Her fingers moved to the buttons of his waistcoat, deftly undoing each until she could push the offending garment off his shoulders and toss it onto a nearby chair.
“My valet will be furious with me,” he whispered, his hands sliding along her silk-covered arms until he reach the little bow that held the chemise closed between her breasts. Tugging, he released the tie and then slid his hands around her waist and felt for the tie of her corset.
“I’ll beg his forgiveness,” Evangeline whispered, her hands moving to pull his shirt from his breeches. Once it was free, she pulled it up, forcing him to give up his attempt at undoing her corset.
Behind the curtain of white lawn that briefly covered his face, Jeffrey gazed at the woman he had just taken as a wife. With her hair still up in its pins and her lips swollen from his kisses, she looked every bit the proper English miss ruined, or a randy mistress in a hurry for a tumble. That is, except for the gleam in her eyes, as if she were enjoying undressing him. “Are you enjoying this?” he wondered, his voice husky.
Evangeline stilled her movements, which left his shirt only half off of his head and shoulders. “I am,” she admitted, her head lifting up just a bit as if to emphasize her answer. She finishing pulling off the shirt and then tossed it in the direction of the chair. The billowing fabric had it completely missing its mark. “Oops,” she whispered with an arched eyebrow.
A shiver of excitement coursed through Jeffrey just then, as if he hadn’t considered his wife might find the time they spent in a bedchamber as enjoyable as he knew he would. “I’m going to enjoy being married to you, aren’t I?” he said suddenly, jerking just a bit as he realized Evangeline’s attentions were now on the buttons of his breeches. Her nimble fingers were undoing each one in turn until she suddenly had the palm of her hand pressed against his hardened cock.
“I should hope so,” she replied with widened eyes.
Jeffrey stilled himself and stepped back. “I love you,” he said as he quickly moved to the chair and sat down to remove his boots and stockings.
Still leaning against the door, Evangeline took a deep breath and nodded. Letting it out in a long sigh, she said, “I know, and I love you, too,” she managed to get out as she pulled down the corset, shimmying her hips until the offending garment was past her thighs and could join the puddle of fabric below.
“Oh,” Jeffrey complained. “I was going to do that,” he said as he rejoined her at the door, stepping out of the breeches and tossing them so they joined the shirt. His manhood was so engorged, it poked nearly straight out from his smalls.
“You can do it tomorrow night,” Evangeline replied, arching her back when his hands moved to claim her breasts through the silk of her chemise.
“Promise?
” he responded, his lips moving to capture one of her nipples.
Evangeline had to suppress a giggle, and then had to steady herself by placing her hands on either side of his head. “My maid will not mind,” she whispered, her eyes closing as the now familiar sensations returned to her breasts, to her very core. The heat between her thighs had become nearly unbearable, the moistness at the top of her thighs so hot she thought she might be burned. Slipping her hands beneath the edge of his smalls, she slid them down until they could go no further, his manhood preventing their descent.
“Just ... tug,” he murmured as he moved his attention to her other nipple.
Evangeline had to suppress a smile as she did as she was told. Freed from their mooring, the smalls fell to the floor. Free from the confines of the smalls, his manhood was suddenly pressed into her soft belly. Jeffrey straightened, flattening his body against the front of hers as he gathered up the hem of her chemise and slowly worked it up her body. His hands, warm and firm against her skin, pushed the garment up and over her head. Once it was free of her body, it joined the rest of the puddle of fabric below.
Jeffrey took a quick glance at her as she leaned against the door. Clad only in her stockings and slippers, and with one leg slightly bent, she seemed positively wanton. She was everything he imagined and more since that night he had nearly ruined her in the Rosemount House parlor.
Her silken skin, rosy from his ministrations and warmer than should be possible of a gently bred lady, had one of his hands skimming over it just to feel its softness. Although not nearly as well endowed as his mistress had been, Evangeline’s breasts were firm and slightly mounded, their ruched nipples perfectly placed. They wouldn’t slide to her sides when he was atop her, he realized, a thought that had him wanting her on her back right then.
As Jeffrey seemed to drink in the sight of her nakedness, Evangeline did the same of him, her gaze moving from the lean muscles of his arms to the light dusting of hair on his chest to the line of crisp curls that led down to where his manhood pressed into her. One of her hands slid down from his silken hair to his neck and over the long line of his shoulder and down his chest, her fingertips barely brushing over the nipple there.
Jeffrey’s slight gasp had her moving her hand across the front of his chest to the other one, one finger circling the bud. At his slight inhalation of breath, Evangeline lowered her face so that she could reach it with the tip of her tongue. Jeffrey’s sudden jerk and gasp had her smiling until he suddenly lowered his head to do the same to her nipple.
In only a moment, it seemed as if he had her entire breast in his mouth, his tongue doing delicious things to her nipple and skin. A wave of pleasure coursed through her, and suddenly, she was cast adrift, no longer anchored to the floor. Unable to hold herself up, Evangeline started to slide down the door. She had a passing thought that she might faint, but the next thought, that she would miss out on whatever came next if she did faint, had her slowing her breaths.
Jeffrey pulled his attention away from her breast and lifted her into his arms. “I believe we’ll be more comfortable in the bed,” he murmured, secretly glad the housekeeper had seen to turning down the dark velvet counterpane that usually covered the bed.
The servants probably hadn’t thought the newly wed couple would retire so soon, but he couldn’t imagine having to wait until nightfall to claim his wife. He – and his body – had been pining for her since that day they had started reading his damned book.
“You forgot to carry me over the threshold,” Evangeline managed to say, although she didn’t know from where the thought had come just then. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed his neck, his collarbone, the top of his arm.
“This, my love, is the threshold,” he said as he placed her as near to the middle of the bed as he could given the height of the mattress. The bed linens, cool and smooth, enveloped him as he joined her on the downy mattress. He slid his body alongside hers until he could reach her earlobes with his lips.
“Oh,” Evangeline sighed. “Is the bed in the mistress suite as comfortable as this one?” she wondered, trying not to stare too much at Jeffrey’s naked body next to hers.
Jeffrey stilled his kisses. “You’ll only find out if I’m there with you,” he warned with a grin.
Evangeline gave him a smile as she reached down and wrapped one hand around his manhood. Reveling at how he jerked and moaned in response, she began sliding her hand up and down the silken shaft, her thumb occasionally brushing over the top before sliding back down to where his balls rested against his thighs.
Groaning his pleasure, Jeffrey thought she might bring him to completion, much as she had that night in the parlor, except he hadn’t expected her ministrations then and had been unprepared. Tonight, he was determined to wait until he was deep inside her before releasing his seed.
As one of his hands slid down her body and moved to part her thighs, he lifted himself so he was nearly atop her. The hot wetness against his hand made him pause and he stared down at her. “I love you,” he said before moving his body between her spreading legs. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I hear ...”
“Ssh!” Evangeline managed as she lifted her thighs and pressed them against the side of his hips. Reaching down with one hand, she found the tip of his manhood and positioned it near her opening, not quite sure of what she was doing.
“Jesus, Eva,” he moaned as he found her silken opening and slid in. He paused a moment, his eyes opening to find hers, aware that her hands had taken purchase on the sides of his body and had moved down until they were firmly pressed into his buttocks, pulling him into her. If she felt any pain, he didn’t see it in her eyes as he watched her until he had to close his own. Her tight sheath, warm and wet and pulsing as he began to pull out of her nearly had him in the throes of an orgasm. He had to slow his movements even as Evangeline tried to pull him back into her, a quiet whimper making him stop.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered, pulling hard on him.
He gave into her plea, thrusting deep into her so that she gasped, her entire torso rising from the bed as her head sunk deeper into the pillow. Her breast suddenly within reach of his mouth, Jeffrey lowered his lips to one nipple, kissing it and suckling it until he felt a shiver pass through her body. He slowly pulled himself out, nearly to her opening and then thrust in again, his own moan nearly drowning the sound of her gasp. When she said his name in a whisper, he thrust one more time and allowed his own release. Burying his head into her shoulder, his groan of pleasure filled the bedchamber. His strength drained, his settled onto her body as he felt her arms wrap around his shoulders.
“I ... I couldn’t ...” Jesus, had he really just taken his own pleasure before seeing to hers? he wondered in disgust.
Evangeline placed a finger against his lips. “I didn’t want you to,” she whispered with a shake of her head.
Jeffrey relaxed as sleep suddenly took hold, his entire body satiated and warm and comfortable.
Smiling in the growing darkness of the room, Evangeline held her husband against the top her body. Had the mattress not been as soft as this one was, she might have felt squished or trapped by her husband’s body. But the comfortable cloud enveloped her, keeping her warm everywhere Jeffrey’s body didn’t cover her. She slowly allowed her legs to slide down his legs until they rested on either side of his. She thought she could still feel his manhood inside of her, but soon, it slipped out, leaving her feeling a bit bereft.
As she lay staring up at the coffered ceiling, the last thing she noticed before falling asleep were the cobwebs strung across the coffers.
Chapter 55
The Finale
“Did my brother see to getting you my dowry?” Evangeline wondered when she realized Jeffrey was awake. He had rolled onto his back, but his arms had wrapped around her shoulders so that part of her body ended up
atop his. “He has already departed for Wapping,” she added, a bit disappointed the earl would take is leave of London so soon after arriving. At least this trip to the island of Minorca would be short. Harry mentioned wanting to study some monolithic stone structures and collect butterflies, a task he thought might take a month.
Jeffrey nodded. “He did,” he replied carefully. “Although he didn’t have to, I hope you know.”
Evangeline lifted her head from his shoulder, intrigued by his words. “So ... you are not as broke as Baron Ballantine?” she ventured, hoping she hadn’t offended her groom with talk of her dowry.
Shaking his head from side to side, Jeffrey allowed a grin. “My coffers are no longer as empty as Matthew’s,” he said with a hint of pride. “Seems The Story of a Baron is selling quite well. My publisher has even asked for a second book, which I have yet to start writing,” he added with a sigh.
Evangeline’s eyes widened. “That’s ... that’s wonderful,” she said with a widening smile. “Will you? Write the book, I mean?” she asked before planting a kiss on his cheek.
Jeffrey grinned and simply shrugged. “What would I write next?” he countered, not at all sure he was interested in pursuing the craft of writing. His success with his first book might be a fluke; what if his second proved a total failure? He thought he should just quit while he was ahead.
“The Story of an Earl,” his new wife replied, as if it were an obvious choice. “Lord Afterly returns from his latest trip to court Lady Geraldine’s best friend.”
Frowning, Jeffrey wondered to whom she referred. “But, Geraldine doesn’t have a best friend, other than Daisy,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “And she is already married to Lord Brotherly, the viscount,” he added, hoping he had the details right. He might have written the story and even read it just the week before, but for some reason, certain details didn’t come easily to him.
The Story of a Baron (The Sisters of the Aristocracy) Page 29