Page 33 of A Spinster for the Rakish Duke (Notorious Sisters of London #3)

Chapter Thirty-One

E mma awoke first, eyes blinking as the sunlight, still reflective of the early morning, streamed in through the eastern facing window.

She had never woken up beside a man before and immediately relished the experience.

The smell of him, the feel of his firmness and warmth beside her.

It was a very pleasant way to start the day.

Emma smiled coyly to herself when she noticed that her husband’s length had risen beneath the bedsheets to greet the morning as well.

She reached under and gently wrapped her hand around him.

Perhaps it was not the most sensible choice, considering they had a long day ahead of them in the carriage, but Emma saw very little reason to hold back now.

It only took a little bit of tending to cause Donovan to stir and only a moment after that for him to realize what was happening.

“Again? And so early? Perhaps calling you eager was a bit of an understatement,” Donovan chuckled sleepily.

“Then what would be the correct term?” Emma asked without slowing her pace. This caused Donovan to have a difficult time arriving at any sort of answer. “Nothing to say?”

“Do you want me to tell you, or do you want me to show you?” Donovan asked with a cheeky grin. Then he lunged at her, which caused Emma to let out a surprised cry that quickly turned into a giggle as they rolled across the bed with one another.

In the end, Donovan had managed to turn Emma onto her stomach and placed himself on top of her.

“What are you doing?” she laughed. She felt the weight of his member once more, throbbing strongly thanks to her morning ministrations. She was curious whether he was planning on using it as well as hopeful that he would.

“This,” he whispered into her ear before he pushed himself inside her, his angle pushing him in from above and behind.

The change in positions was not something Emma had known much about, let alone assumed anything about its consequences.

In reality, it changed almost the entirety of the sensation of how he felt.

It still felt amazing, but where he touched her, how he moved her, changed completely.

Emma liked the change and was forced to bury her face in her pillow to stop herself from moaning too loudly.

Donovan, more confident in his ability to gauge his wife’s threshold, was very much interested in increasing his pace this time.

Emma’s excited moans were also a fine incentive for him to do more of what he was already doing.

Soon their pace matched the one they had worked up to the night before.

The thrusting, the beating of their hearts, the mounting was coming again for both of them.

Donovan gave a few more powerful thrusts before he felt his energy release into his wife, gasping and tightening up as he gave her those few final bursts of movement.

“Oh god, Donovan, how do you always make it feel so good?” Emma asked as she panted for breath beneath him.

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” he said, gently moving from behind his wife and to her side.

“Well, whatever we are doing, we are doing it very well,” Emma said while curling up comfortably against her husband.

“Now, now, Emma, the bad news is that after that we are going to need to get up.” He stood up with a playful chuckle. He wasn’t too opposed to rising, but he knew that it is always better to lounge after a morning with your lover, which was not a luxury they had.

“Oh no,” Emma bemoaned. “Could we not spare just a moment more in bed?” she pleaded.

“We will be together for the whole of the carriage ride,” Donovan countered.

“Not like this,” Emma pouted. She wasn’t normally so indulgent, but, as often the case with those who get a taste of something they like for the first time, she wanted more.

“We could,” Donovan told her, “It's our carriage; we can ride in it any way we please,” he said with an innocent smile that Emma knew was forced.

“So scandalous, is that how you will talk now that we are married?” Emma said with a laugh and hopped from the bed to seek out what she would wear for the day.

“It's harder than I thought, saying goodbye,” Emma said quietly, less to her husband and more to herself.

She faced the small home where she had lived with her family her whole adult life.

She had little love for the place, and any memories she could say she was fond of had recently become tainted with the knowledge of who her aunt truly was.

Donovan was busy trying to sort out the travel plans with the carriage driver.

He needed to take them then return to this house so that he could provide Alistair and Mr. Herst a ride back to London.

Then he would be required to turn around and return to Lowe manor and prepare to bring them to their mystery destination.

A bit more convoluted than necessary, but the timing worked better with the plans they had for their honeymoon.

Still, Donovan wanted to make sure that the driver understood precisely what was required of him.

Emma thought that Donovan may have just been busying himself to allow her time to say goodbye to her family. They had excused themselves from breakfast early to prepare for their trip and had arranged with everyone else to meet them outside when they finished their breakfast.

Donovan had his own short pseudo-sentimental goodbye with his brother.

She knew that they probably had a lot to talk about, given all that had changed for them in the last couple of days, but she also knew that men would take their time doing so.

She may have found this a bit silly but knew that Donovan wouldn’t shirk it, and Alistair wouldn’t let him, so she was happy to let things play out as they would.

Soon, a slow, but not reluctant, procession of her father, Martha, and Benjamin made their way onto the cool dew-covered yard.

“Finally, we get to be the ones wishing you farewell on your honeymoon,” Martha said with a cheery smile.

“A day I have been looking forward to for a long time,” John Bradford followed up.

“To think, all my daughters are married to titled gentlemen. I don’t know if I could have asked for better circumstances.

Your mother would have been so happy to know the legacy our family would carry into the world. ”

“I honestly haven’t even thought about it,” Emma admitted. “Did your life change much when you took on a title, Martha?”

“That is a rather complicated question,” Martha said thoughtfully. “Overall, you’ll find the benefits outweigh the disappointments.”

Emma smiled uncertainly at the answer her sister gave but was not worried. As long as she had Donovan, she knew all would be well.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Donovan appeared next to her. ‘Thank you all very much for your company and hospitality. I hope very much to see you all soon. Mr. Benjamin Bradford, especially, I hope your recovery goes well. I am excited at the prospect of doing business together in the future.”

“I too look forward to it, Your Grace. I thought perhaps the first thing you could assist me with is hiring a new apprentice, seeing as you robbed me of mine while I was stuck in a basement,” Benjamin remarked with a dryness that only a victim of circumstance can summon.

“Perhaps, if all goes well you will finally be able to marry, Benjamin. I’ve been wondering when I can stop worrying about you as well as my daughters…” the older Bradford man said with a great laugh, completely undermining his son’s own dark humor and causing Benjamin to look at him perturbed.

“Father, I doubt that will be any time soon. So please don’t entertain such ridiculous notions or expectations in that regard.”

“Oh no,” Emma pouted playfully, “Don’t say that, Benjamin. If Jenny could hear you, it would break her heart.”

Benjamin’s eyes grew wide at the mention of the young woman’s name. “You… how?!” was all he could sputter, his face turning bright red in embarrassment, making Emma burst into a fit of giggles.

Donovan took the lead on the explanation. “Our investigation led us to dig into many facets of your life, Mr. Bradford. You’ll have to forgive me for stumbling upon some of your secrets. Your sister, on the other hand, might not be entitled to ask such forgiveness.”

Emma was still giggling when Benjamin wished them a curt and red-faced goodbye. Mr. Bradford and Martha were quick to follow, wishing them safe travels and a fantastic honeymoon.

As Emma watched her former home grow smaller in the distance, she was panged with deep sadness.

She knew that the happiness that awaited her was something she would never regret, and she would be happy with Donovan for the rest of her days.

But there was still sadness in change, and at that moment, Emma accepted that as a new fact of life.

“What is it, dearest?” Donovan asked her after he spotted her forlorn look.

“Just a bit of reminiscing catching up with me as we leave. I am so looking forward to making a new home for us, my love, but sometimes even happy things can make you melancholic,” she admitted.

“A feeling I know all too well, I assure you,” Donovan nodded and put his arm around his wife to comfort her.

She looked up at him with a sad smile. “Is there anything that makes it better?”

“In the moment?” he asked and considered it for a moment. “I could distract you.”

“Distract me?” Emma asked with an innocent look that Donovan wasn’t too sure was genuine.

The Duke moved in and kissed his new wife. Kissed her more roughly than he dared to thus far, but he felt her return it just as eagerly. It was only a moment later that Donovan was lifting her ample skirts up and out of the way.

“Donovan,” Emma gasped. “In the carriage? What if someone passes us? Or if the driver hears?” The young Duchess voiced concern, but her actions could not be considered protest in any way.

“I am confident all will be well,” he told her with a smile before he descended to use his lips and tongue.

The moment Emma felt her husband touch her with his mouth, all of her worries were instantly overwritten by the sensations running up and down her body.

Each erotic experience was new and exciting, but she couldn’t imagine herself ever being tired of a repeat performance either.

The very idea that someone she loved could make her feel this good made the whole experience that much more blissful.

She was forced to cover her own mouth as they rode in the carriage.

Even with the dampening of the carriage doors and the clatter of hooves on stone, she knew that she would be loud enough for the driver to deduce what was going on.

The possibility of such an embarrassment worried Emma deeply but also made the play that much more exciting.

And with Donovan kissing her and licking her the way he was, excitement was not something she had a shortage of.

Again, Emma found herself approaching that precipice of pleasure.

This time she understood what it was and didn’t fight it, allowing herself to soar right over the edge and into the blissful wave of pleasure.

As she came back down Donovan moved to cradle her lovingly.

Her husband kissed her forehead and lips, smiling at her.

“That was amazing but…” Emma spoke in pleasured panting gasps.

“But?” Donovan arched an eyebrow.

“But the times we have done that, we are always someplace rather, um, public. Perhaps the next time you pay me such a favor, we can be in the privacy of our bedroom?” Emma requested of her husband.

“I’ll consider it,” he responded coyly, but when he saw her pout, he couldn’t help but reassure her. “Of course, dearest,” he said while he planted a kiss on her forehead.