Page 28

The ride back from Lord Wilbury’s estate was rather uneventful. Edwin was happy, elated even. Not even the rattling and shuddering of the carriage could dampen his mood.

All he knew was that he had finally put the man who had caused him and his family harm behind bars—and it seemed the Earl might spend the rest of his years in prison.

The carriage had scarcely stopped in front of the house when Edwin hopped down.

He made straight for his wife’s chamber. Now that it was all over, he wanted nothing more than to hold her and reassure her that she was safe while he pressed kisses to her beautiful face.

He was, therefore, disappointed when he found her bedchamber empty.

Perhaps she is in the drawing room.

He also found the drawing room empty.

Now, he could not help but worry.

He spotted the butler in the foyer and summoned him.

“Have you seen the Duchess?” he asked.

“Indeed, Your Grace. Her Grace took a carriage and left.”

“What! Where did she go?” Edwin’s heart pounded in his chest

“I have no idea, Your Grace,” the butler responded.

Edwin’s mind raced, and tension gripped him. The fact that Lord Wilbury had finally been arrested certainly did not mean that Ava was now safe.

What if some thug attacked her carriage? What if they abducted her?

The mere thought made his stomach churn violently.

A clattering sound suddenly rent the air. Edwin perked up.

Ava is back?

He rushed outside just in time to see his wife alighting from the carriage.

Edwin was relieved. Ava was safe.

“Ava,” he called as he approached her.

“Edwin!” Her eyes lit up when she saw him.

She closed the distance between them in an instant and enveloped him in a hug, her warm body pressed against his.

Edwin was stunned at first. His wife had just hugged him in full view of the servants outside.

“I am just happy you are all right,” she murmured, her voice muffled against his chest.

Edwin’s resolve shattered right there and then.

Who cared if his servants could see them? All that mattered was his wife.

He wrapped his arms around her, cradling her against his chest.

“I was afraid something had happened to you,” he said, before planting a kiss on the crown of her head.

Ava looked up at him. “I am safe, I assure you.”

Edwin could not help but smile as he regarded her radiant face. His heart swelled, and he was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude.

“Now, let us go inside,” Ava said, glancing at the servants.

With that, she took him by the hand and led him back to the house.

“Where were you?” Edwin asked, just as they stepped into his chamber.

Ava averted her gaze as she sat on his bed. “I paid a visit to a certain dowager duchess.”

Edwin’s heart thudded. “You paid a visit to my mother?”

His mother was bad news.

“You do not have to worry,” Ava reassured him.

“You should not have,” he sighed. “My mother can be quite… caustic. Moreover, she is convinced I am a monster.”

Ava glanced at him, her lips twitching. “She certainly did not hesitate to voice her thoughts. However, I only warned her to stay far away from us.”

Edwin’s heart warmed.

“Now, I do not want to be in the dark anymore,” Ava added earnestly. “I need you to tell me everything that has been happening. It hurts me that you have kept secrets from me.”

Edwin rushed to her side and took her hands. “I know, and I am sorry my actions hurt you so much. I promise to never keep a secret from you ever again.”

Ava swallowed. “I know that our marriage isn’t conventional, and as such, I do not deserve to make such demands. You married me to make yourself look more reliable and responsible to your business partners, while I married you because I did not want my sister to marry you. However, I do not want to be in the dark anymore. Especially because I am in love with you.”

Edwin sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes widening in shock. “You are in love with me?”

He simply could not believe his ears.

Ava blinked rapidly at his shock, and her face reddened.

“I suppose you may not feel the same way about me at the moment,” she mumbled, lowering her gaze.

Edwin chuckled in disbelief. “Ava, I certainly feel the same way about you.”

Ava’s breath caught, and she looked up at him.

“I love you, Ava, and I want the same thing you do. I want you to be my wife, truly and wholly. I want you to be my wife not out of duty, but because you love me.”

Her lips curled into a radiant smile, and tears of joy welled up in her eyes. Edwin’s heart swelled at the sight. He wanted to show her with his words just how much she meant to him.

“I always thought that love was a farce. But then I met you, and now I know that it is quite real. I want to spend my every waking moment with you. I want to protect you and make sure no harm ever comes to you. And you must know, I got the man who sent those thugs after us arrested.”

Ava let out a laugh as her tears spilled over and streamed down her face.

Edwin reached over and wiped her cheek with his fingers. Then, he cupped her face in his hands. “Ava, I am flawed, and I have never trusted anyone. However, I want to trust you.”

“Oh, Edwin,” Ava gasped, before leaning in and kissing him.

Edwin captured her lips with his, and that warm, fuzzy feeling enveloped her. She was safe in his arms.

His arms wrapped around her shoulders, and he pulled her in as though desperate for more.

For the first time in her life, Ava was certain about something: she loved Edwin. Hearing him say that he felt the same way about her was simply magical.

“Come,” he murmured, pulling her up.

Ava climbed onto his lap and cradled his face, her thumbs brushing over the contours she knew so well. His piercing green eyes locked onto hers, and the familiar cut of his strong jawline made her breath hitch.

“I must say, you are rather handsome, Edwin,” she breathed, smiling.

It was Edwin’s turn to smile.

“Why, thank you, Ava,” he replied.

Ava lowered her face and once again captured his lips with hers. Even though this was not their first kiss, it still felt like it.

She explored his mouth like she never had before. Edwin’s hands roamed over her body as they continued to kiss.

His hands slid down her back to her hips and then to her buttocks. Ava’s body was inflamed as his hands traveled all over her. She could not keep still.

She finally broke the kiss, breathless. She gazed into her husband’s eyes, dark and hungry with need. Nothing was stopping them now, except for that nagging feeling deep within her.

“Edwin, you must know,” she started. “I have not changed my mind about having a child.”

Edwin nodded his head. “I know. You have nothing to worry about.”

Ava still could not help but be worried. “But if we make love now, I can become pregn?—”

“Shhh!” Edwin whispered, pressing a finger against her lips. “Trust me, Ava. There are ways to make love without you becoming pregnant.”

Ava sighed with relief. “If that is the case, then I suppose there is nothing stopping us.”

“Well, there is also the matter of”—Edwin touched her dress—“this.”

Ava laughed. “I suppose it must come off then,” she said as she rose from his lap.

She took several steps away from him, still holding his gaze.

She reached behind her and pulled at the laces that held her bodice together. Thankfully, it came off easily. Then, she slipped her arms out of the sleeves and let the dress pool around her feet, before stepping out of it.

Her husband followed her every movement, looking utterly captivated, as though she was the only thing that mattered in the entire world.

Ava blushed as she stood naked before him, save for her undergarments.

“Do you perhaps need my help with your undergarments?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.

She shook her head. “Not quite, Your Grace. I am certain I can do it by myself.”

“Fine, if you insist.” Edwin settled back and watched her, a sensual smile on his face.

Ava attacked her chemise next, and his eyes traced every inch of skin she bared. Soon enough, her undergarments joined her dress on the floor.

She now stood in front of him as naked as the day she was born.

Edwin released the breath he had been holding. “Ava,” he rasped.

His eyes raked over her body, dark and heavy with desire.

Ava had never felt as desirable as at that moment, knowing that the only thing holding her husband back from ravaging her was a simple word— please .

To further taunt him, she turned around to give him a proper view of her.

“What are you doing to me, Ava?” he whispered. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his self-control hanging by a tiny thread.

Ava smiled. She wanted to know just how further she could taunt him before he gave in to his desire.

She cupped her breast in her hand and squeezed it lightly while holding his gaze.

Edwin groaned. “Are you on a mission to frustrate me?”

And yet he did not break.

Ava shrugged, feigning ignorance. “I do not quite understand what you mean. However,” she whispered as she trailed her other hand down her stomach to her mound, “I remember one fateful afternoon when you taught me to touch myself.”

“Ava…” His eyes never left her body, not once. They traced every single movement.

“If I begin touching myself now, how long would it take for you to finally come here?” she asked, smiling softly.

“Do you want me to come over to you?” he asked, his eyes flashing.

“Hmm.” Ava made a show of considering his question.

Her eyes landed on the sofa in his room, and an idea came to her.

She strode over to the sofa and sat down.

Edwin twisted around, following her movements. Knowing that he was so excited aroused her even more.

Ava raised her left leg just high enough to give him a view of her sex and lay down on her back. “I wonder,” she continued, placing a finger on her bud, “if this will push you to finally come to me.”

With her other hand, she touched her breast again. Pleasure shot through her as she gently rolled her nipple, making her gasp, and she turned her head to watch her husband’s face.

His eyes were dark with desire.

Ava smiled at him as she rubbed her finger lightly on her bud, just as he had taught her. She let out a moan and closed her eyes.

She heard a huff and opened her eyes. Edwin had risen from the bed and was now approaching her.

She giggled. She had won in the end.

Edwin had scarcely gotten to her before lifting her from the sofa and pressing her body against his. Ava wrapped her legs around him as he carried her to his bed. He laid her down gently on the mattress before quickly divesting himself of his clothes.

Ava’s heart pounded in her chest. She was not nervous. Rather, she was excited.

She had been waiting for this moment for so long, and now she was happy that it was finally happening. There were no secrets between them anymore, no danger lurking nearby.

The time was simply right for them to finally consummate their marriage.

Edwin flung his drawers to the side and stood there for a moment, watching her.

His body was taut and quite impressive, and his ripped chest glistened in the sunlight streaming in.

Ava’s eyes trailed down his abdomen and landed on his erect member. It bobbed between his legs, as if in anticipation of what was to come.

Her husband was just as ready as she was.

When he finally joined her on the bed, she found his warm body quite welcoming.

She enjoyed feeling his naked body against hers, as it made her feel close to him.

“You have been teasing me,” he whispered, hovering over her.

Her heart fluttered.

His eyes drifted from her face, down her body, leaving heat in their wake. He did not even have to touch her; his gaze alone awakened sensations within her that she did not know were possible.

In one swift motion, he took her hands and pinned them above her head. Ava was confused for a moment.

“Now, you must not move your hands while I pleasure you,” he said to her, before releasing her arms. “This is your punishment for teasing me.”

Ava giggled as she clasped her hands together above her head. “Is it a punishment if it will only bring me pleasure?” she asked.

Edwin narrowed his eyes at her. “Pleasure can well be used as punishment.”

“Then I simply cannot wait.”

“As you wish,” he said gruffly, before taking her lips in another searing kiss. He moaned as he tangled his hand in her hair. “I can never have enough of your lips,” he murmured.

Ava’s heart leaped with joy.

She unclasped her hands to hold his face, but he broke the kiss and gave her a reproachful look.

“Remember, your hands must remain above your head at all times,” he chided.

Ava groaned, but this time it was in frustration. She had no idea that keeping her hands above her head would be such an arduous task.

“At. All. Times.” His eyes twinkled mischievously.

Just as Ava had enjoyed teasing him, he was now taking pleasure in ensuring that she could not use her hands unless he permitted her.

“Now, where were we?” he purred as he lowered his head again.

This time, his lips did not find her mouth. Instead, they grazed her breasts. He nipped her nipple lightly, and she squirmed.

“Edwin!”

He took her left breast fully in his mouth, his tongue circling her nipple slowly, deliberately. A delicious warmth unfurled in her belly and spread to her core. But then he started sucking on her nipple while caressing her other breast.

Ava let out a loud moan and thrust her chest against his mouth and hand.

When he finally released her, her face was flushed, and a satisfied smile played on his lips. “This is only just the beginning.”

He returned his attention to her breasts, moving his mouth to the right globe while fondling the other.

That warmth bloomed in her core once again… right before he stopped abruptly and then trailed his tongue down her sternum.

Ava squirmed beneath him as he trailed wet kisses down to her mound and then back up, before blowing cold air on her skin.

She arched her back, giggling. “That tickles.”

Edwin moved back down to her mound and pressed a light kiss to it.

Memories of when he had made her climax with his mouth flooded her mind. Her body tingled, aching for him to drive her to that height of pleasure once again.

And so she was disappointed when his lips trailed further down to her thigh.

“What are you doing, Edwin?” she cried out in frustration.

He simply chuckled before kissing the crease between her thigh and mound.

Ava squirmed as her skin grew sensitive. She had never thought a simple touch to her thigh could arouse her so. But that was what Edwin did best—he showed her new ways to be pleasured.

He continued further down. However, the lower he went, the less sensitive she felt.

He seemed to have noticed because he brushed his lips over her inner thigh lightly. Ava’s hips bucked at the sensation.

Edwin moved to her other thigh and then began to trace his way back up to her mound. Ava closed her eyes in anticipation.

He started kissing around her sex, not quite letting his lips touch her bud or entrance, as though he was intentionally holding back.

She groaned in frustration.

His lips then grazed her bud, making her breath catch.

“Just do it already!” Ava pleaded, her eyes heavy-lidded and glazed over.

She could not take any more of his teasing.

Edwin lifted his head to look at her, a mischievous smile on his face. “Since you have asked so nicely,” he murmured, “I might as well oblige.”

He lowered his face to her sex again. Ever so slowly, his tongue licked from her entrance to her bud and then back, not lingering on one spot for too long. Her hips bucked, demanding more.

Edwin licked again from her entrance to her bud, and this time the tip of his tongue swirled briefly around the bundle of nerves.

The throbbing sensation intensified, and Ava ground her hips against his mouth, seeking more pressure. However, he pulled back and blew cold air on her sex.

Over and over again, he teased her until she lost count. The more he did it, however, the longer and faster his tongue circled her bud.

At what seemed the umpteenth time, Ava could no longer keep still. She breathed heavily as his tongue licked up to her bud again. This time, the tip of his tongue lingered on her bud, probing it just lightly to make her cry out.

Her hips and thighs tensed up as she anticipated his next move. Her heart sped up as his tongue lapped at her. Her bud grew even more sensitive and engorged, pulsing madly. She bucked her hips once again, but he pulled away, denying her the pleasure she desperately sought.

“Edwin!” she groaned, for what seemed like the hundredth time.

The next moment, however, he wrapped his lips around her bud and sucked.

A bolt of pleasure zapped to her core, and he had to hold her hips down to stop her from tumbling off the bed. He sucked ever so gently, but she kept thrashing about.

In the throes of pleasure, she released her hands and fisted them in the bedsheets. Edwin sucked on her again, this time slightly harder.

Ava felt her bud pulsate. The pleasure mounted, and she simply could not take it anymore. She feared that it had become far too intense for her. It scared her how quickly she was losing control.

As he continued to suck, he began massaging her bud with his tongue.

“Edwin, I cannot…”

But he only licked her faster.

Ava could feel her orgasm building as warmth spread through her entire body. She bucked and moved her hips to the rhythm of his lips and tongue.

She held his head in place and ground her hips against him.

The world went still for a moment. All that mattered was the intense pulsing between her legs and Edwin’s mouth.

“Ahhh… Edwin… I… I can’t…” she slurred.

She could feel it now. The crescendo was close. The pleasure had built up to a tipping point.

And then stars exploded behind her eyelids as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her. She could not stop bucking her hips, and Edwin did not relent either. He continued to lick and suck on her while she shuddered and quivered with release.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Ava went limp and collapsed on the mattress.

Smaller tremors coursed through her as she lay there, her heart thudding loudly in her chest while she tried to catch her breath.

When Edwin finally looked up at her, she could not help the smile that spread across her face.

At that moment, Ava fell in love with her husband all over again.

“That was simply…” she trailed off, unable to find the right words.

“Magical?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Ava giggled and nodded.

“This is only the beginning,” he murmured.

Ava doubted if anything could surpass what she had just experienced. However, she had learned to believe her husband, so she simply braced herself.

Edwin moved up her body and kissed her lips tenderly, languidly, as though he was simply savoring the moment.

His warm breath caressed her face as they kissed, and she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him closer. She simply wanted to melt into him.

It was not a frantic, feverish kiss; it was intimate and comforting, and it reminded her that he would always protect her.

When he finally withdrew, she was panting.

Edwin moved back down her body, and her core tingled even when he had yet to touch her. She knew what was to come, and it excited her immensely.

He traced a finger between the lips of her sex. Ava moaned, the tingling sensation slowly growing into a steady pulse.

He stroked his finger up and down, spreading her wetness. She looked down when she suddenly felt a slight pressure at her entrance.

It was his finger.

She watched as he slid it inside her, bracing for pain or discomfort. Instead, he entered her easily, her cavern already slick and ready.

Ava gasped when he slightly curled his finger inside her. He withdrew it until it was almost out and then slowly slid it back in. Her nerve endings awakened, and her walls clamped around his finger.

He pumped his finger in and out of her in a steady rhythm, before lingering on a particularly sensitive spot.

The pleasure was instant. It was as though he had set off fireworks inside her.

He continued to rub his finger against that spot, and soon enough, Ava was bucking her hips. The pleasure built up inside her.

“Can you move just a tad faster?” she begged.

Edwin looked up at her and slowly shook his head. “No, I would rather torture you like this,” he rasped.

He did not take his eyes off her. Instead, he held her gaze as he continued stroking her.

Seeing him watch her so intensely made Ava feel even more desirable. Her head swam. He soon added more pressure, intensifying her pleasure.

A tremor coursed through her from head to toe, and her breathing quickened.

Edwin increased the pace. Ava bucked her hips as she met his finger halfway, determined to reach the crescendo that was now almost within her reach. But he suddenly stopped moving, and she groaned in disappointment.

She was just about to ask what the problem was when he withdrew his finger.

“This might hurt a little,” he whispered.

Then, he pushed in two fingers.

It felt different from having just one finger inside her. Ava felt her walls stretch, but she accommodated him quite easily.

With the tips of his fingers, Edwin caressed that sensitive spot once more. His movements became slow again, and it frustrated her. But it was not long before he withdrew his fingers.

“Are you ready for this?” he asked as he grabbed his cock.

It was engorged and hard, and it throbbed in his hand as though it was aware of the task ahead.

Ava nodded and smiled brightly. Unlike the last time they had attempted it, this time would be different. She just knew it.

He guided his cock to her entrance and rubbed it against her. It tingled, and she squirmed. Then, he stopped.

“Before that, I need to do this,” Edwin said and raised his hand to his mask.

It was when he touched his mask that Ava finally realized what was happening.

She looked on in disbelief as he took off his mask, revealing the scarred half of his face to her for the first time. The skin there was thicker than on the other side and slightly darker.

Her eyes eventually drifted to his, and she noticed that he was looking at her intently, as though gauging her reaction.

“Can I touch it?” she whispered.

Edwin nodded.

Ava sat up and inched closer to him. She slowly touched his face, lightly at first. The skin there was jagged and uneven. However, it matched his persona perfectly. It lent him a rather magnetic allure. It was mysterious and intriguing. She wanted to explore the scars, touch them, and memorize the stories they could tell.

She looked into his anxious eyes. “Your face is perfect,” she murmured.

Edwin heaved a sigh. Ava realized then that he had been holding his breath while he waited for her response.

“It makes you even more mysterious,” she continued as she bravely stroked his face. “I love mysteries.”

He relaxed visibly. “You don’t find it hideous?” he asked.

Ava shook her head. “Not in the slightest.”

She rose on her knees and leaned towards the scarred half of his face, pressing kisses all the way up to his brow.

“I love you, Edwin, and it would take far more than a few scars to change that,” she whispered against his skin.

Edwin cupped her face in his hands and gently pulled her away so he could look her in the eyes. “Thank you, Ava.”

And for the first time, Ava saw the rest of his walls crumble.

Now, he sat before her, vulnerable as a child. He had bared his soul to her, and rather than finding it terrifying, she loved him even more for it.

His eyes flitted down her face, and he kissed her. He bit her lips lightly as he captured her tongue in his mouth.

Ava slowly lowered herself back onto the bed while they continued to kiss.

When Edwin finally broke the kiss, he was smiling brightly. Ava had never seen him so radiant, and she could not help but be proud that it was her who put that smile on his face.

Without a word, he guided his cock to her entrance once again. This time, he rubbed himself against her entrance and then, in one fluid motion, pushed in. He was only halfway inside her.

“Oh!”

A sharp pain shot through Ava.

Edwin stopped and peered at her in concern. “Should I stop?”

She shook her head. She was determined to do it today.

He pulled out of her slowly, and she held her breath as he pushed back in ever so gently. She felt her walls stretch to accommodate him until he was completely buried inside her.

Ava finally exhaled. The sharp pain had now faded into a dull burn. Edwin gave her a questioning look, and she nodded in response.

With that, he began to move. His pace was slow and short at first while she tried to adjust to his size. Then, he increased his pace, pulling out to the tip and then pushing back in to the hilt.

By then, the dull burn had given way to warmth.

Edwin captured her lips in a kiss as he continued to move. Ava kissed him back, and soon, she began to move with him.

She was not quite sure what to do at first, but soon enough, she was able to move at the same pace as him. She pulled away when he did and bucked her hips when he thrust into her.

They moved in perfect harmony. And the more he thrust, the deeper he went, until he brushed a spot inside her that made her toes curl.

Ava gasped.

The next time he thrust, she met him halfway, and he hit that spot once again. She felt a fullness inside her as his cock pressed on it.

The feeling was different from the one she had experienced earlier.

Edwin grunted as he continued thrusting into her, before suddenly pulling away and resting on his knees. Then, he slipped his arms under her legs and pulled them up.

“What are you doing?” Ava asked.

“Just watch,” he responded.

He tightened his grip on her legs and resumed thrusting into her.

This time, Ava could feel him deeper inside her.

Suddenly, the tip of his cock hit that spot again and again. She began to feel a dull vibration inside her. His breathing quickened as he grabbed onto her hips and pulled her towards him with every thrust.

The dull vibration grew into a full shiver, and soon enough it racked her whole body.

Warmth spread from her core to the rest of her body, reaching the roots of her hair and the tip of her toes.

Edwin moved faster, and she could feel his body tense up against her. His eyes began to glaze over, and his grip on her hips tightened.

He suddenly slowed down, and instead of thrusting, he gyrated his hips, pressing his cock against that pleasurable spot once, twice, before he kissed her lips and resumed slamming into her.

Ava could not take it anymore. She bucked her hips against him, seeking the pressure that would push her over the edge. Their gazes locked, his green eyes piercing through her.

They moved together over and over—his cock sliding into her, filling her up, hitting that spot. Her heart beat faster, and her breathing quickened.

The world ceased to exist around her. All she could see was his eyes boring into hers, his brow furrowed in concentration, his luscious lips curled just slightly.

And then…

“Edwin!” Ava cried out as she climaxed.

Pleasure crashed over her in waves. Edwin continued thrusting into her, even though she had stopped bucking her hips. Her walls pulsed and rippled, and the pleasure multiplied as he hit that spot over and over.

It was as though her lungs had seized.

Ava thrashed beneath him, loud moans spilling past her lips. The pleasure was intense.

And finally, it all came crashing down.

She went limp, and she struggled to catch her breath.

Edwin, on the other hand, ran his hands over her body and thrust into her one last time before pulling out of her.

Ava could not help the languid smile that spread across her face. Her chest rose and fell as she tried to catch her breath.

She was tired and spent. And yet she felt more relaxed than she ever had before. It was as though a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. She felt a familiar warmth spreading through her body.

Edwin collapsed beside her and pulled her into his arms. Ava lay on his chest as they cuddled, and she could hear his fast heartbeat.

“I love you, Ava,” he breathed, kissing the top of her head.

Ava smiled, snuggling deeper into him. She was contented, satisfied even.

Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined that she would fall in love with the beast she had married to save her sister.

A soft snore suddenly filled the air, and she glanced at her husband. He stirred in his sleep and pulled her even closer.

Ava was giddy with joy. She had never thought she would get married, but now that she had Edwin, she knew she would never let him go.

The End?