Page 31 of The King of Whitechapel (Victorian Outcasts #7)

thirty-one

C HRISTOPHER HAD SPENT the afternoon with Elizabeth in his arms. They hadn’t talked. They’d just held each other. Even dinner was a quiet affair. Only the two of them were in the dining room. Darko was playing fetch with Finn. When they went up the stairs to his bedroom, she leant against him, sniffling.

“The pain will go away,” he said, caressing her hair. “One day, you’ll wake up and realise it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“It’s not the pain. It’s the certainty I don’t have a family anymore. I didn’t realise how safe having my parents by my side made me feel. Now their protection and love are gone. It’s like I’m mourning a loved one.”

“You have me.” For as long as she wanted him.

He still believed that, if her parents apologised, she would forgive them and decide to return home. Every instinct ordered him to keep her with him, but her life would be simpler with her parents. Safer. But at the same time, he was her family, and he was more than willing to take care of her.

“I’m so grateful for having you.” She slipped a hand under his shirt. “And I don’t want to be sad anymore. I spent months being scared and sad.” She smiled before leaving the bed. “I want a new life with you.”

“It sounds wonderful.” He followed her as she slid behind the screen.

“It is, and I’m going to show you just how much.”

The shuffling of fabric came.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

She came out wearing only her dressing gown. She didn’t answer, and it was fine with him, as his attention was completely focused on her slipping into the bed.

Before ripping the garment off her lovely body and kissing her, he held her tightly, needing to feel her next to him and to make her understand how precious she was to him. She coiled her arms around his neck, her soft breathing tickling his skin.

“You know that after we’re truly together, it can’t be undone, don’t you?” He caressed her loose hair, letting the silky curls spill through his fingers. “Everything will change.”

“My family disowned me. Everyone thinks I’m a trollop. I want to be with you. And that’s not going to change.”

“I don’t mean that.” He cupped her face to stare into her eyes. “I don’t care about your family, and certainly I don’t care about what people think. I’m talking about us.” He brushed a curl from her cheek. “I won’t be able to let you go after we’re together. Ever. To me, it’s a vow. I don’t take being with you lightly. If that scares you, I understand. You’re free to leave my bed at any time.”

“I don’t want to leave.” She pressed her thumb to his bottom lip. “I want to be with you, too.”

He hesitated before speaking again. “If you change your mind and want to return to your old life?—”

“Christopher.”

“Please listen. If that happens, unfortunately not being a virgin will make your life more difficult. If you want to remain a virgin … well, you know what to do. I’ll do everything you want me to.”

The idea of Elizabeth marrying a toff was like a stab in his chest, but she wanted a life of safety and leisure as she’d been used to. Then he’d do everything she wanted.

She put her soft hand on his cheek. “I love you, Christopher. I want to be with you. Only you.”

It took him a moment to recover from the shock of her words. They were that powerful. They reached a deep part of his soul that desperately needed to hear them from her, and the love bursting within him couldn’t be contained anymore. He’d held his love back for fear she didn’t want him as much as he wanted her. But now he let it flow freely.

“I love you, Elizabeth.” He put everything he felt for her into those words.

The worry and turmoil that had bothered him since he’d met her lifted with a surge of happiness. Finally, all those years spent wondering if he could ever have her found an answer.

They hugged each other again but with more desperation than passion. Her heartbeat thumped against his chest, and their love suffused the air.

“Take me, Christopher,” she whispered.

He slowly untied the knot of her dressing gown because, as much as he wanted her, he meant to enjoy this moment. The fabric slid off her shoulders with a light tug.

The glow from the lamps turned her smooth skin into gold. He paused to admire her beauty. With her chestnut curls and golden skin, she was an autumn goddess.

He slipped a hand on her nape and pulled her closer, pausing again to breathe in her rosewood scent. The kiss started slow; he wanted to savour every inch of her delicious lips. But when she parted them for him, he thrust his tongue inside her hot mouth and became lost.

A battle of tongues and lips began. He tangled his fingers through her hair to pull her closer to him until her breasts were squashed against his chest.

He broke the kiss, only to gently lay her on the bed. She panted, her lips reddened by the kiss and glistening. She grabbed his shoulders, making him feel her nails on his skin.

A shot of pleasure went through him the moment he stretched over her, careful not to crush her. He kissed her neck and collarbone, going lower. She moaned when he drew her nipple into his mouth while running a hand over the curve of her hips. He moved lower, pausing to kiss her belly.

The scent of the soap she used to bathe lingered on her skin and mingled with his own scent. The thought of smelling her scent on him sent a fresh jolt of energy down his body. He spread her legs to kiss her inner thighs. Her breathing quickened when he reached her wet core.

As he kissed her deeply and slowly, her hips writhed and rolled in sensual circles. He stretched her with two fingers, readying her for him. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. So even though every instinct in him urged him on, he forced himself to go slowly. He rubbed and lapped at her, tasting her as deeply as possible. Breathy little noises came out of her, and they were the most erotic sounds he’d ever heard.

When she cried out in ecstasy, he kissed his way up her delicious body. Sheer pleasure clouded her wide eyes, and the release had brightened her cheeks.

After taking care of donning a clean sheath, he propped himself on his elbows, careful to keep his weight off her. He paused again to stare at her flushed face and glistening lips before moving his hips forwards. She closed her eyes, reclining her head, and her slender neck with the swift pulse tempted him too much. He trailed his lips down her jaw and neck before thrusting deeper.

She welcomed him with a sigh and a tight velvet grip. The strength of the burst of pleasure was unexpected. He had to pause again. For a moment, they shared heat and breath. Only they existed in the world. Only she mattered.

Then he started moving, gently at first, to let her body adjust.

“Does it hurt?” he whispered.

“No, and I trust you.”

Those were likely the best words he’d ever heard. He eased forth, watching her reaction for any sign of pain. Inch by inch, he sheathed himself completely, and it was heaven and hell mingled together. Heaven, because only she could give him so much pleasure, and hell, because he was burning from the inside out. When she moaned again, he sped up.

They found a rhythm made of thrusting hips and shifts. She arched her back, crying out her release and gripping his shoulders hard. The more she sank her fingers into his skin, the closer he was to finding his own release. After watching the pleasure parting her lips, he couldn’t go on much longer.

The power of the release made him quiver, leaving a trail of fire down his back and endless love in his heart. He rolled off her and hugged her from behind, pressing his chest to her back. Her breathing was uneven, and her chest rose and fell quickly.

“There’s only you.” He kissed her shoulder. “There’s always been only you from the moment we shared the cottage. You marked my soul, took my heart, and filled my mind with thoughts of you. You filled my miserable life with light and happiness, and there won’t be anyone else.”

She snuggled closer, covering his hand with hers. “There won’t be anyone else for me as well, and that’s my vow to you.”