by Karin Baine
From what he’d seen everyone had had fun. Fantastic raffle prizes had been donated and won, dinner eaten and conversation had flowed. With the business aspect of raising money out of the way, it was time for him and Georgiana to enjoy what was left of the night.
They’d brought in a band to end the evening on a high. As they began to play their soft, smooth melody, Ed reached out a hand to Georgiana, who was about to take her seat after another round of schmoozing.
‘Would you care to dance?’
‘Pardon? Are you sure you’re asking the right person?’
‘The only person I want to dance with here. I’m sure you know how to do it better than I can.’
‘I haven’t done it since my operation. I’m not sure I can.’ There was panic in her eyes but she took his hand all the same. That display of trust in him touched Ed’s heart. He didn’t want to do anything with the potential to embarrass or hurt her, but he thought she should enjoy every second of the night. It was as much hers as the charity’s.
‘I hear it’s like riding a bike.’ It was the sort of comment guaranteed a sardonic response but it was designed so she’d be too busy slamming his joke to worry about anything else.
He was right—they were on the dance floor before she was mid eye-roll.
‘Is everyone watching?’ she asked as he took her in his arms.
‘I hope so. I didn’t put on this tux to be ignored.’
She slapped his shoulder but she was laughing, the last of her anxiety slipping away.
Once they’d led the way, others followed until the floor was full and they were lost in one another’s arms without a care.
* * *
‘It’s been a good night.’ She was resting her head on his shoulder, the sweet scent of her perfume invading his senses and filling his lungs.
‘I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it and that I was here to share it with you.’
‘You know, it doesn’t have to end here...’
He looked down at her to make sure she was saying what he thought he was hearing. ‘Are you sure?’
There was no point in denying he wanted nothing more than to spend the night with her any more. They’d gone past that and with the gala out of the way they might be able to spend more quality time together. He didn’t know where things would lead to, only that he wanted to give it a try.
‘I’ve handed back the crown jewels, I’ve chatted with my old army buddies and stopped hiding the truth of who I am from them and everyone else here. I think I’m ready for bed now.’ The nibbling at her bottom lip gave away something of her nerves but she nodded her head regardless. He grabbed her by the hand and led her off the floor.
‘In that case, let’s get these people their coats.’
The one thing he could hear above the roar of blood in his ears was Georgiana’s giggle. It only made his heart beat twice as fast and his patience last half as long.
He didn’t know what was happening to him, but for the first time in his life he was making himself and his needs a priority. It might seem selfish but Georgiana was the only good thing to come into his life in a long time and he didn’t want to lose her when a few days without her felt like an eternity.
This could be his one chance at happiness and nothing was going to get in his way when she’d made it explicitly clear she wanted him too.
* * *
‘What do we have to do to get these people to leave?’ Ed was a warm breeze in Georgiana’s ear but he still made her shiver.
‘Shh. They’ve paid out a lot of money tonight. We can’t very well tell them to clear off because we have better things to do.’
‘Like each other,’ he growled and made her melt at the animalistic tone of his desire.
As time went on, her bravado was beginning to ebb away, letting anxiety flow back in. She wanted to sleep with Ed; it was the next step for them. It was the personal significance she was having trouble with. This would be the first time she’d been naked with anyone since her life, and her body, had changed for ever. Though she wouldn’t want it to happen with anyone else, it was nerve-wracking having sex with someone for the first time and this was so much more than that. There were other things to consider besides her desire for him. Not least how she would adjust to her new lopsided body during the act.
‘Princess Georgiana would like to offer her gratitude and say her goodbyes,’ Ed announced to those still congregated in the foyer.
‘Goodnight, everyone. Thank you all for your support,’ she managed to say before being whisked off back towards the ballroom.
The room was thankfully empty now. It had been a lot to go from isolation in her room to hosting such a large crowd in a few weeks. Although it hadn’t been as scary on the night as she’d imagined. Most people simply wanted to know how her prosthesis worked and whether or not it was painful. Given the reasons they were all here tonight, she’d been only too happy to engage in those conversations.
Ed closed the door behind them and before she had a chance to speak he had her pinned against the closed door, kissing her the way she’d been imagining all night.
She groaned against his lips with the satisfaction of tasting him again, of having his body pressed tightly to hers. He moved his mouth across her cheek, kissed her neck, and sucked her earlobe into his mouth. Oh.
‘Are you sure it’s okay for me to stay? I don’t want to cause you any problems,’ he said, kissing the spot behind her ear that sent tiny electric shocks to every one of her erogenous zones.
‘I’ll just say you had too much to drink and couldn’t drive home. There are dozens of bedrooms you could’ve stayed in if anyone asks.’ They hadn’t done much to hide their blossoming romance and she was sure tongues would be wagging about the princess and her handsome surgeon, but she didn’t care. She’d spent too much time worrying about what people thought and Ed had shown her how much more fun she could be having if she concentrated on what it was she wanted. Tonight, it was him. In her bed. With her.
‘As long as you’re sure.’
‘I love that you’re being a gentleman but you should know by now I’m a woman who knows her own mind.’ She reached up and tugged on his bow tie, loosening it along with her inhibitions.
He grabbed her wandering hands with his before she started undoing his shirt buttons.
‘I get that, but I think we’d be more comfortable in the bedroom. I don’t want to rush this in case someone finds us. I want to take my time with you.’
It had crossed her mind that it might be less awkward as her first time since the amputation to do it here, clothed, standing and quickly but his promise to take things slowly was too much to resist.
‘Do you think they’ve all gone yet?’ She was breathless with desire; all social etiquette faded into insignificance when he was kissing her all over.
‘I bloody hope so.’
The ache inside her was so great she could only agree with his statement.
They checked the coast was clear and, with only catering staff zipping about collecting their stuff and the band loading their instruments into the van parked outside, they’d got their wish.
‘Bedtime?’ Ed slipped his arms around her waist and claimed her, setting off fireworks in her belly.
‘Bedtime,’ she confirmed, entwining her fingers around his so he knew this was a joint decision. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. This was going to be all right. Ed made everything feel good.
Georgiana didn’t remember climbing the huge staircase hand in hand with the man in front of her. The promise of what was to come propelled her in a daze, so she practically glided to her bedroom with him. The place where she’d been seeking solace for the past few months was now going to be the site for another historic event. One she hoped was going to be more positive and fun to look back on.
He tilted her chin up and placed a kiss on he
r mouth. A long, tender, swoon-worthy display of his intentions for the night. She was already a puddle of arousal before they’d even got naked.
With her help his jacket hit the floor. She whipped the loose bow tie from around his neck and tugged his shirt free of his trousers. All the time not taking her mouth from his. She needed that contact to stop her from worrying about what was coming next. As long as he was kissing her, wanting her, everything would be all right.
She heard the rasp of her zip and felt the air on her bare skin. Her breathing, which had been shallow and rapid, now seemed to have stopped altogether. This was the moment she’d thought she’d never be confident enough to experience. She’d thought she’d never be attractive to another man again. Ed’s body, pressed so tightly against her, was disputing that for her.
Her hands were frozen, still clutching his shirt as he eased her dress away. She watched his eyes follow it to the floor. Not once flinching or showing anything but appreciation and lust. She could breathe again.
‘You’re beautiful.’
Once she let the compliment sink in she saw no reason not to repay the favour, unbuttoning his shirt and tossing it on the floor.
‘In a hurry, are we?’
‘Only to get you naked.’ Her bravado was returning full force as she exposed him piece by piece.
‘Be my guest,’ he said, letting her strip him completely.
It was important for her to have some control of this moment and divesting him of his clothes was the best way to do that for now.
She’d seen him at the pool, yet the taut muscle and smooth contours of his body were still a revelation. While she was busy ogling him, Ed undid her strapless bra and buried his head between her bare breasts. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to render both her legs useless when she was becoming a liquid mess beneath his touch.
‘Ed, you’re killing me here.’ It was all she could do to remain upright, giving her no chance to explore his body as much as she wanted.
His response was to knead her breasts and suck hard on her nipples until her knees finally buckled. He caught her and carried her over to the bed. His every gesture, their every interaction since they’d met had been building to this and she was ready to burst with the heady anticipation of the night ahead.
He slowly inched her silky knickers down her legs until she was completely naked and open to him. There was only one thing spoiling everything for her. At this time her prosthetic seemed ugly and unnecessary but she didn’t know how to remove it without spoiling the mood. Ed slid a hand there, attempting to remove it for her, but that was a humiliation too far. She tried to stop him but he silenced her with another kiss.
‘Let me. I’ve done this a hundred times. Not in this scenario but you know what I mean.’ They broke any potential awkwardness with their laughter. Ed’s touch was so deft and gentle she hardly noticed what he was doing until he did the unthinkable. He kissed his way along her injured leg as though it was simply another part of her to be explored and appreciated. Those ridges and bumps where the surgeons had sewn her back together were now a map for his lips to follow. So gentle, so loving in a place more intimate than any other part of her body. Somewhere no one else had ever touched her so tenderly. Ed turned the most damaged part of her into something beautiful. A part of her she no longer needed to be ashamed about.
Tears burned behind her eyes but only for a second as he kissed his way towards her inner thigh and made her forget what was making her so emotional. Her head and her body now just a mass of sensations to enjoy.
The quick darting motion of his tongue along her sensitive skin made her quiver, her limbs trembling more the closer he came to her most sensitive spot. When he found her wet and waiting, he met her with his tongue, sending shudders of exquisite satisfaction wracking through her whole body. She was completely at his mercy, waiting for his next touch. He delved deeper, pushing the limits of her restraint, seeking only her pleasure.
The bedsheets were bunched in her hands as she clung to the last of her sanity. Then he hit that perfect spot that made it impossible to hold back the flood any longer.
She cried out until her throat was raw as Ed created wave after wave of pure pleasure at the tip of his tongue. He didn’t stop his pursuit until he’d wrung every last drop of her climax from her.
When she came back down to earth she was dazed and unable to move a muscle. ‘My body’s like lead.’ She giggled as the man between her legs raised his head.
‘Is that a good thing?’ He gave her that cheeky grin of his, full of pride at his accomplishment.
‘You know it is.’ She was sapped of all her strength, weak from the sheer force of her climax, and she couldn’t have been happier about it.
‘You’re looking particularly smug, Princess.’
‘So are you, Doctor.’
‘And we haven’t even had the main event yet.’ He crept further up her body, completely covering her with his, bracing himself either side of her.
At the promise of more, certain parts of her came back to life, reawakened by the tender, loving kiss he left on her lips. She wrapped herself around him and he buried himself inside her with a satisfied grunt.
Her gasp as he filled her was only the beginning. Each stroke as their bodies collided again and again, all the accompanying kisses he gave her, were met with a satisfied moan.
Ed was so attentive to needs she wasn’t aware she had, spoiling her, giving her everything she wanted and more. She’d never felt more like a princess in her life.
They hadn’t discussed the future beyond tonight but she didn’t see how they could carry on as though nothing had happened after this, when he’d changed her whole world.
Until tonight Ed had told her he hadn’t wanted to mix business with pleasure. Family came first, work a close second and relationships didn’t even make the list. Yet Georgiana knew when she was with him, she wasn’t a misfit with no place in the world. She was a mentor, a medic, an ambassador, and along with all that he made her feel like the most desirable woman in the world.
As she and Ed reached that peak of absolute bliss together, their cries of ecstasy echoing each other, she knew she’d lost another piece of herself. Her heart.
CHAPTER TEN
GEORGIANA’S FIRST INSTINCT when she woke up was to reach for Ed. She had a smile on her face, remembering their conscientious exploring of the limits and logistics of an amputee’s sex life. Until she was confident it didn’t make the slightest bit of difference about her leg when making love with him. She was awestruck to discover that she still had a fully functioning sex drive and he made her feel as though she was the most important person in the world every time he’d kissed her during the night. Her body was thoroughly ravished and pleasantly numb this morning.
‘Morning, sleepyhead,’ she said, trying to rouse the naked figure sprawled across her bed. As pleasant as the sight was, they couldn’t lie here all day.
‘Hmm...?’ A drowsy Ed rolled closer to her, his eyes still closed. It was no wonder he was exhausted after she’d put him through his paces last night.
‘We should get up.’ Her sigh was filled with longing and regret that their night together had to come to an end.
‘Why? We still have some time before we have to go to work,’ he mumbled into the pillow.
The way he said it so casually made her smile. As if they were any other couple about to start their day together. It had taken some time and soul-searching but she had a role now. One that was about more than just making personal appearances and news headlines. She had a purpose again. The talk with her parents and, later, the gala had given her so much hope about her place in the world. Okay, it wasn’t the one she’d had, or had expected to have, but she wanted to capitalise on her sense of achievement.
Ed had given her the platform and confidence to address her issues in public but it was down to her to contin
ue the momentum. There was so much more she could achieve using her position. She saw no reason why she shouldn’t become an advocate for other charities and use her voice to get recognition where it was needed. As a representative of injured veterans and the amputee community she could do a lot to raise the profiles and funds for those who needed it. After months of floundering, not knowing where she’d be wanted and accepted, Georgiana believed she’d found a new path that would incorporate the princess and the soldier in her. She was keen to embark on this new life outside these walls. The one she’d been avoiding for so long.
‘With everything that happened last night, I’m going to have to release a press statement.’
Ed snapped awake, his big blue eyes sparkling with mischief. ‘There’s really no need. I know I was good but you don’t need to tell the whole world about it.’
Georgiana rolled her eyes. ‘You’ve every right to be full of yourself this morning. Last night was...amazing. But I was talking about the gala. Word will be out about my injuries and I’ll have to work with the palace to give an official statement about what happened and what it means to my position as Princess and next in line to the throne.’
‘Surely you have a little time to fool around first?’ He slipped his hand under the covers and swept it over the curve of her hips.
She groaned, tempted to surrender to her libido in place of her common sense. ‘I really wish I did, but I have an appointment with my aftercare team first thing too.’ Something her visits to the clinic had prompted her to do. She’d seen the importance of having regular check-ups and maintaining contact with the team who’d taken care of her. Her appointment today was to check out some recent discomfort she’d been experiencing. Probably the result of the extra workouts and busier lifestyle putting more strain on her body. No doubt they would tell her to take it easy.
Ed immediately sat up and cupped her face in his hands, his eyes searching her face for the truth. ‘Is everything okay?’