Page 17 of Just Think of the Scandal (The Fairplace Family Novellas #2)

T heo couldn’t hold back any longer. It was physically painful to do so. Other men had complained about aching ballocks when their amorous activities had been cut off early. But Theo’s ballocks didn’t ache. His heart did, somehow.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her thoroughly, sweetly, effortlessly. Because kissing her felt like the most natural, beautiful thing in the world. How had he not even known she existed a week ago? He needed her in his life. Forever.

Theo carefully arranged her on the seats, stripping her of her chemise until only her bare skin touched the blanket. He pulled his shirt off as quickly as he could, then shucked his trousers in the limited space. This was not going to be a graceful endeavor. Maybe tomorrow in London he could prove to her he had more prowess than this.

He gathered her in one arm, cupping her back with his forearm so she had as much relief from the seating as possible. When he settled over her, her soft, inviting warm body nearly made him spill right there.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. “Hello, darling.” Damn, why did her smile always turn him into a besotted fool? He kissed her forehead. “You know how this works?”

Eliska nodded. “You’ll go slow?”

“Yes. And I shan’t risk getting you with child.” He hoped it wouldn’t hurt her at all. Some women didn’t experience pain, he’d heard. Theo reached down and parted her legs, hooking the outside leg over his hips. Her foot rested just perfectly on the small of his back. He wanted to lay on top of her, to feel her breasts pressed against his chest. But this was already less than ideal circumstances for deflowering a virgin. He instead ground his pelvis against hers, pleasure already building at the base of his spine.

His cock twitched in delight at being so close to her already. Theo took time to stroke her folds again with his fingers, stoking her passion once more. Only when she gasped and shivered beneath him did he tilt his hips and notch the crown of his cock at her sheath.

He gritted his teeth against the exquisite feeling, hoping he’d at least get one or two thrusts in. He’d always enjoyed his time with women—not that he’d slept with many, just a handful or less—but something about this was different. It felt portentous. As if heralding a new era of his life.

Theo eased his way in, nearly choking at how tight and hot and wet she was. Society might say that she was ruined, but he knew the truth, even as he crept forward, retreated, then crept a little further forward. She had ruined him.

Eliska made a face, and he froze. “Too painful?”

She screwed up her face in a thoughtful frown. “Not sure. Strange. I feel so…full,” she added wonderingly.

Theo hoped that was a good thing. He waited a little longer to give her a moment to accustom herself to him, stroking her hair and licking her ear. When she nodded her assent, he continued. He kept his thrust gentle, slow. He didn’t want to miss a moment of this with hard, quick pounding. Each slide in and nearly out felt like touching the sun—overwhelming and intense and blinding all at once.

Her breathy pants came closer and closer together, and soon she writhed beneath him. “Can I do it again? This soon?” she asked him.

“Let’s find out.” Theo slid his hand down between their bodies and stroked the nub of sensitive flesh in time to his thrusts. He changed his angle until a look of rapture crossed her face, and then he twisted his legs to make sure he could sustain it.

All too soon his ballocks tightened, and he gasped. Theo bit his tongue and renewed his efforts to make her experience another paroxysm. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold off. He gasped again, this time relief, when he felt her muscles ripple around him and her head turn from side to side. He had just enough presence of mind to jerk from her body and spill his seed on her stomach. Pleasure crested and tore through him like a wildfire, leaving him wrung dry of his strength. He buried his face in her hair, gathering his shredded fortitude.

Despite the relief and joy of the moment, a sadness crept in at the corners of his mind. Theo ignored it as he searched for any scrap of fabric to clean them up with. He settled on his necktie, which wasn’t ideal, but he didn’t care. He was just happy she was glowing.

“Mmmm,” Eliska murmured as he covered her back up in the blankets. “Do you think we can sleep on the seat together?”

Theo doubted it, but he was game to try. He wordlessly adjusted her body so they lay on their sides. He draped his legs across the middle of the compartment and rested his feet on the opposite seat.

Eliska fell asleep almost immediately, judging by her soft, even breathing. Theo lay awake longer, a strange bittersweetness overcoming him.

Then he finally knew. He understood the answer to all his questions. Why he’d been sad to pull out and spill on her belly. Why he’d felt so betrayed upon reading her note. Why he was experiencing the worst and best night of his life simultaneously. Why he craved her smile.

He loved her.

He wasn’t just smitten with a bad case of calf love that would make even a fourteen year old boy embarrassed. He loved her. That’s why he wanted to marry her.

Theo thought back to the marriage and divorce game, which felt like years ago. That’s why he hadn’t listed any character flaws in her sketch. Except for one.

He sighed and shifted his weight to relieve a cramp in his leg. How did he convince her?

∞∞∞

Theo woke in the morning to the rumbling, growling indication the locomotive had started and was cruising toward the bridge. He winced, his body making him aware of aches and pains from sleeping in such a contorted manner. The edge of one of the blankets slipped off his leg, and he nearly yelped at the cold.

Eliska mumbled something in her sleep, and her bottom nudged his front in a most enticing way. His cock, ready to greet the morning, somehow hardened further. He rocked against her, closing his eyes to revel in the feel of his skin against hers. He could wake this way every day for the rest of their lives.

Eliska turned in her sleep and nearly fell off the bench seating. Theo tucked an arm around her just in time, gathering her close. The feel of her bare back was so beautiful, so erotic, he wanted to strip her bare and lick down her spine, then perhaps draw the curve of her body anywhere he could memorialize it—books, buildings, paper advertisements.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she turned to face him, and the sight of her blue gaze felt like a kick in the chest. “Good morning.” Her voice was soft and dusky with sleep. “We survived the night?”

“I think I still have all my toes,” Theo confirmed. “Do you?”

Her lips curved. “None iced and fell off during the night.”

Theo’s heart was so full it hurt. He had to tell her. He had to explain why she needed to marry him. He’d wait. He’d wait for the right moment.

“Thank goodness we’re moving.” Eliska sat up. The blanket fell from her and for a heartbeat her breasts filled Theo’s vision, creamy with tawny nipples. He leaned forward to kiss one, but she whipped the blanket up before he could make contact, and his lips hit the blanket instead.

“What was this?” she giggled.

“Not satisfying, that’s what that was,” Theo grumbled. He scrubbed a hand over his face, wiping the sleep away, then put his hand behind his head and enjoyed the view of Eliska’s bare back. God, he wanted her all over again.

Eliska turned, still holding the blanket to her breasts, and looked him up and down. His side of the blanket draped across his midchest, so she got an eyeful of his arms, his hair, his flat, brown nipples, and more. Based on her rosy cheeks, she probably liked what she saw.

Theo grinned. “We should dress. Before we get to the next station.”

Eliska reluctantly agreed. They dressed one another, something Theo had never done before. He found he loved it. Probably because it involved Eliska.

They held their breath as the train crossed the bridge, but it passed without incident. The lamp had gone out during the night, but in the gray light of the cloudy morning Theo could see the wood paneling, the gold tassels hanging from the heavy window curtain, and the damask design cut into the velvet tufted pillows.

Soon they stopped in the next village. Theo volunteered to go find Eliska’s crinolines in the second class compartment. “The railway workers are probably more exhausted than we are. I doubt they’ll be checking who belongs where.” While he was on the platform he bought two pastries and refilled his tin cups with hot tea. And all the while, all he could think was, Eliska, Eliska, Eliska . He hurried back to the carriage so Eliska could run to the lavatory. He imagined telling her as soon as she returned.

She returned to the first class compartment just before the whistle blew. “I saw the engineer trading places. Looks like the engineer from last night is getting off shift to sleep, thank goodness. I’m glad we have a fresh engineer who got a good night’s sleep.”

They devoured the food Theo had purchased. Eliska thanked him as she licked the crumbs from her fingers. “I was woefully unprepared for such an inconvenience as last night.”

Theo, mesmerized by the sight of her tongue licking her fingers, reached out and gently grasped her wrist. She glanced at him in surprise, then flushed as he brought her hand to his mouth and sucked each fingertip dry.

“Theo,” she said, not quite an admonishment.

He smiled at her. “Delicious.”

Her blush deepened, which made his heart thump queerly. “Eliska,” he said, unable to hold it back any longer.

“Hmm?” She pulled the curtain back to look out the window at the passing, soggy countryside.

“Eliska, please marry me. I love you.” The words bubbled forth, leaving him tongue-tied and inarticulate. All air escaped from the compartment, leaving him faint and rather ill.

Eliska froze, then turned her head and stared at him, eyes wide with shock.

Shock was never a good sign.

“Are you…proposing to me?”

Theo nodded, wondering how to salvage this. Should he wedge himself on the floor? He wasn’t sure he’d fit between the seats, but he’d try.

“Theo,” Eliska breathed. “We’re not betrothed.”

“Yes, that’s why I’m proposing,” Theo replied, whole body tensing for a blow.

She just blinked at him, unable to think of anything to say. Oh God, she’d refuse him. He just knew it. “Theo, you don’t need to marry me because of last night. I was already ruined before we slept together. Nothing changed.”

“No,” Theo insisted. “That’s not why. I mean, I would, of course, because I couldn’t leave a woman to face social ruin alone. But I’m proposing today because I want to. Because I love you.”

She continued to stare, eyebrows drawing together in faint confusion.

He couldn’t breathe. He wasn’t sure his heart was even beating.

“You’re just saying you love me because you don’t know how else to convince me,” she decided. “I like you very much, Theo Fairplace. But please don’t do this.”

Theo wanted to groan. “No, I’m not saying this to convince you.”

“Then your feelings changed because of last night. The truth is, however, we still don’t know one another that well. You’re letting last night influence your thoughts.”

Theo ran a hand through his hair. “How can I prove to you that I truly love you? None of this is a performance.”

Eliska shrugged helplessly.

A thought struck Theo. “Wait. I lied the other night.”

Hurt crossed her face.

Theo stuck his hand in his jacket pocket, finding the crumpled paper and withdrawing it with a flourish. “Here? See.”

Eliska eyed him warily but took the paper. She smoothed the creases out on her lap, the unfolded it. “Is this the character sketch from the game?”

“Yes.” Theo leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Read it.”

Eliska glanced down, eyes flitting across the page.

“I told Evelyn you had no flaws. But that’s not true.” Theo jabbed at the flaw side of the paper. “See? I wrote one down.”