Page 22

T hea’s thoughts were a blur. It felt as if she’d had too much whisky, something she’d done only once, for research. Everything seemed hazy, and dreamlike. The light from the candles was soft and made the room warm. Or maybe that was her husband’s body. Everywhere she’d touched him he felt like a flame. Especially the silken member between his legs.

She’d not expected it to feel that way. Not that she’d thought much on how it should have felt. All of this was so new. She didn’t want to miss any detail.

Shay lay out in the bed after pulling the coverings off. He patted the mattress next to him and offered an inviting smile before holding out his hand toward her.

Her delay in joining him was not because she had any doubts, for there was no room in her head for such things. She only paused so to take in his beauty. He might not have liked that word used to describe his body, but it was the only word she could come up with. She’d known he was large, of course, anyone could see the way his coats strained across his wide shoulders despite being fitted for him particularly. And the way his thighs stretched the fabric of his breeches especially when he was sitting a horse.

But she’d not realized under his clothes were rolling hills and valleys of muscle. Especially across his stomach, and lower, where that large part of him seemed to lurch out at her from the black hair that seemed confined to that part of his body just like hers, but so very different.

His legs seemed to go on forever, and like those afternoons when he’d stretched out on her settee to nap, his feet hung over the edge. No doubt his bed in the castle would have been made for someone of his size. Plus another person.

He shifted across the space she was to take up and reached for her again. This time she went.

The linens were already warm from his body, not that she spent much time feeling them. Shay wrapped his arm around her and rolled her over on top of him.

She’d only seen the way men and women came together in a drawing she’d come across in the margin of a book. But it depicted the woman being on the bottom while the man lay between her legs.

This position was, however, more suitable for kissing. For she didn’t need to reach up to touch his lips. In fact, she needed to bend her head down the slightest bit. He slid her legs to the sides of his body so her thighs rested by his hips and she felt that hard bulge at the very place it was somehow supposed to enter her body.

But it was his fingers that reached between them stroking her as she had done to herself on occasion, but oh so much better. His touch found the very place she wanted him and he focused there. Stroking and pressing in the most delightful way as she panted to catch her breath. And then those talented fingers slipped inside her, filling her exquisitely. Even as he kept his rhythm in that other place.

The two sensations together were too much and she felt her body tightening and she knew what would happen but had never felt it so intensely before.

When her climax came, she couldn’t help but cry out in pleasure. While she was still shaking he lifted her slightly and placed the tip of him at the opening that still throbbed.

“This is for you to take when you are ready,” he said.

She shook her head, not understanding. Not only was her mind rather useless at the moment but she recalled the drawing and knew this wasn’t how it worked.

He nodded as if she’d said some bit of that out loud.

“You have had little say over your life for the last several years, and in this I want you to have complete control. You will decide when you want to take this next step—and Lord, I pray it is soon before I expire—it is for you.”

She wanted him inside her then. Needed him there.

“I’m just to move down?” she asked to be sure this was right.

“Yes. It may hurt, but it should be easier now.”

Again she didn’t know what he meant, but she trusted him to know. Not just because he had far more experience than her in such things, but that she knew he would want her to feel good.

And he was giving her this power to make it good for her. While it was clear he was in some pain for having to wait for her slow pace.

She edged down slightly and his breath caught as his eyes pinched shut. Yes, definitely some kind of torture for him. She didn’t want him to ache like she had. She wanted to give him the same joy he’d given her.

Allowing her body to relax, she slid further down until she felt the discomfort he’d mentioned. It was not so awful, the slickness of her body eased her way until she settled all the way down.

Shay was gasping, but he smiled up at her.

“All right?” he asked.

She waited a brief moment so it would be true when she nodded and said, “Yes.”

“When you are ready, you can move.”

She did, moving her hips she slid up and then back down slowly at first but then faster as her body decided the pace for itself. Each time she slid down the tension built higher and higher.

“Oh, Shay. Please?” she asked, though she didn’t know what she was asking for exactly. It didn’t matter he must have understood.

Shay’s hands on her hips gripped her tighter until she began to throb once again. He pushed up from the bed to fill her completely as he burst inside of her.

Collapsing on his chest, she felt his heart racing like hers.

“That was magnificent,” she said, still floating in that dreamlike state that had transformed to a peace that was now drawing her to sleep.

“It was,” Shay agreed. His voice rumbled under her ear when he spoke, but she couldn’t comment for she was being pulled under. Her exhaustion from such an eventful day caught up with her and she gave in.

*

Shay reached for the coverings and with his foot to assist, managed to get them up over the two of them. She’d fallen asleep on him, so tired she must have been from everything that had transpired. Still he enjoyed the soft weight of her body on his, and the heat still surrounding him for he’d yet to pull free from her.

Such an odd thing that he did not want to. He’d much prefer to stay connected to her while they slept, but soon enough his body betrayed him and he slipped free. He managed to shift them into a more comfortable position but Thea nestled closer into his side as if she’d always slept there and knew her place.

He felt his own body pulling him to join her, but there were so many other things on his mind. The one thing that wouldn’t seem to leave him alone was the memory of the way she’d called out his name when she climaxed. It should have been a joyful moment, and it had been. But it was bittersweet for the fact that she had used his name. Or rather the name he’d claimed as his.

He’d hoped his wife would have cried out to some nonspecific deity rather than use a name that was a lie between them.

He thought of the secrets she kept and had shared with him, and knew at some point he would need to tell Thea the truth about him. But not tonight.

He rested for a few hours but woke when Thea moved in her sleep. He wasn’t used to sleeping with someone else. His other encounters had been limited to sex and then he’d gone on his way after a bit of tenderness afterward. But he’d not spent the night with anyone. Afraid his dreams would betray him and someone would know his truth.

Thea had shifted to the other side in her sleep and he pressed his body against the bare skin of her back. His growing erection slipped unerringly between her thighs, rousing him to full hardness.

He placed soft kisses on her shoulder and neck, the edge of her ear and she murmured as her movements turned more intentional.

“Shay,” she whispered, needy.

That was the permission he needed to redirect himself into her body. Her groan echoed his own as he began moving slow and deep. His hand traced up the side of her body to hold her breast, using his finger to tease the tight peak.

Soon she was thrusting back to meet his every moment forward.

“Thea,” he said urgently when his vision began to fracture and his spine heated with his need to let go.

An incoherent moan was her only reply as her body spasmed tightly around his. He drove into her twice more before giving over to his desire.

“So many ways,” she muttered. Or at least that’s what he thought she’d said.

“Pardon?” he asked but she didn’t answer. She was already asleep again.

When morning intruded upon them Thea raised her head to prop it on his chest seeming in no hurry to get out of bed to ready themselves for the day. He was content to stay in bed loving her for as long as his body complied, but they would need food soon enough if they meant to exert so much energy.

The tray Frannie had brought them had been devoured in the wee hours of the morning after she’d woken him to make love to her yet again. But there was nothing left now but crumbs and he knew the ewer was empty of water for he’d used it to clean her delicate skin.

With a sigh he smiled at her. “I’m afraid we will have to get up and see to things today before we starve.”

“In the stories, the man goes out to hunt to provide sustenance for his mate.”

“What stories are those?” he asked, knowing he would gladly go forage for food for his mate. Especially since he need only dress and go call for Frannie to bring it up.

“Well, not stories, per se, but one story that I read. For research. It was about chimpanzees.”

“Are you likening me to a monkey, dear wife?”

Rather than answer, she broke into a fit of giggles that warmed his heart. He may not have wanted this or thought he deserved it, but he was going to find a way to enjoy it.

He pulled on his clothes from yesterday and kissed Thea.

“I am going to the castle to ready for the day. I’ll return with the carriage to gather you and your things shortly.”

She bit her bottom lip in that way she did when she worried over something.

“What is it?”

“I am to be your marchioness,” she said in wonder.

“Aye, but don’t worry over it, there’s not much to it. You must only see to my every pleasure and never argue with anything I say.”

She laughed again. “I believe I have failed already.”

“Hmm, I imagine it is too late to do anything about it now. You are well and truly mine, so we’ll find a way to carry on.”

With another kiss that nearly led to them getting caught up in bed yet again, he bid her goodbye for the moment.

“I’ll return within the hour.” That should be enough time for her to pack up her things as she didn’t have much.

He walked slowly up to the castle, taking note of every bloom and puffy cloud in the sky. Everything seemed brighter and happier this morning. How many times had he walked by these things and not even noticed as he was in a hurry to get to her drawing room. And now she was his.

He’d been jesting when he said she was responsible for his every pleasure, but a great deal of their future happiness or misery would come from being with one another. He planned to do all in his power to make her new life as his marchioness a joyful one.

Which made him think again of the secrets he was keeping from her. Who he was and what he did when he was in London put everything between them at risk. He’d resolved himself to telling her his true identity, but the other piece… he didn’t know if she’d be as accepting.

Which meant he needed to sell Nuit Noire straight away so she’d never find out.