Page 14 of The Wayward Lady (The Wayward Widows of Willoughby Hall #1)

T hey walked down the street together, the atmosphere between them charged with a newfound intimacy that felt both exhilarating and comforting. Lavender’s hand once again found its way to Kendrick’s arm, her touch anchoring him as they made their way back to the quaint inn where they were staying.

The soft glow of firelight welcomed them as they entered their room, casting a warm ambiance over the cozy space. Kendrick closed the door behind them, enveloping them in a cocoon of privacy.

Turning to face Lavender, he took her hands in his, his gaze locked with hers in silent communication. They shared an unspoken understanding of the significance of this moment and what it meant for their budding relationship. She’d said she had no expectations of him, but he had plenty for himself. He wanted to make this so good for her...

Kendrick’s heart galloped in his chest as he leaned forward, his lips brushing against Lavender’s in a gentle caress. The kiss was tender yet filled with the flame of passion that had long smoldered between them. Lavender’s fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, pulling him toward her as she rose on her tiptoes to better reach his mouth. He loved the way she was kissing him, as if she couldn’t possibly get enough.

He felt the same about her, and when his hands moved to cup her face, his touch was reverent and filled with a tenderness born of newfound love. He wished he had the courage to tell her how much he cared for her, but she’d said that discussion could wait, and he still didn’t know what would happen when they reached Barcelona. The last thing he wanted was to make promises he couldn’t keep.

When they finally broke apart, their breaths coming in ragged gasps, Kendrick rested his forehead against Lavender’s. Time seemed to stand still, allowing them to bask in the glow of this new chapter unfolding between them.

“Lavender,” Kendrick whispered, his voice husky with emotion. “I want to do this right. Please, tell me what you like, what makes you feel good.”

She took a step back, a deep flush working its way across her features. “I don’t know what you mean.” She looked adorably flustered, and he wondered if perhaps she had never talked about such matters before, not even with her husband.

He realized a bit ruefully that he needed to slow this down a bit, even though he was so hard he ached. He wanted nothing more than to finally—finally!—find some relief from the long years of abstinence he had endured because of Isabella’s perfidy. But he didn’t want to pressure her in any way.

Unfortunately, women weren’t usually encouraged to express their physical desires. Because of that, he feared very few of them ever really enjoyed lovemaking, too worried about how they were “supposed” to act to let themselves give in to it. But he hoped she’d grown comfortable enough with him to understand that he wasn’t trying to embarrass her. On the contrary. He was trying to make all her sensual desires come true.

He pulled her through the sitting room to the bedroom he’d chosen for himself, sat down on the bed, and patted the space beside him. “Come sit beside me and tell me what makes you...” He trailed off, not sure which word to use. Come seemed too vulgar to use with a lady, but he wasn’t sure what word would be better.

She stared at him a moment, seeming poised to flee, her face still flaming, then moved to sit rigidly beside him. All the soft desire she had shown a few minutes ago had vanished like dust in the wind. He hoped he wasn’t making a terrible mistake by insisting they talk about this first.

“Makes me... what?” she asked after a long moment.

“Which positions make you orgasm?” he asked tightly, his cock aching at his restraint, at actually saying the words aloud. “Which ones do you like the most, and which ones are your least favorite?”

“There’s more than one position?” she asked, sounding utterly shocked. “And I didn’t know women were supposed to... do that.”

He turned to look at her, even more shocked than she was. “Are you telling me that you’ve never... Not ever? How about when you touch yourself?”

“I don’t... I’ve never...” She shook her head, her face so red he feared she might burst into flames. “Is there something wrong with me?”

“No,” he murmured, pulling her into his lap and cradling her close. “But apparently, there was something wrong with the viscount. Either that or he just didn’t care if you received any enjoyment from the act.”

“He probably didn’t care. But I did enjoy it,” she whispered hoarsely. “It felt so good to be touched. To feel cherished, if only for a few moments. And I like kissing very much.”

“Oh, my sweet girl, am I to understand that he simply kissed you a bit, flipped up your nightgown, rutted until he came, and then fell asleep beside you?” Once again, he had the urge to thrash the dead man.

A strained laugh escaped her. “Yes... that’s pretty accurate. Should there be more?”

He brushed a few strands of her golden hair behind her ear, then pressed his lips tenderly to her forehead. “There can be so much more to it than that. So many ways to give love and receive it. Do you trust me to show you some of those ways, or would you prefer that we do it the way you’re comfortable with?”

She drew in a deep, steadying breath, then released it as though giving herself strength. “I trust you, Kendrick. I want you to... show me.”

“Thank you,” he whispered, meaning it. He knew she didn’t utter those words lightly, and he was even more determined to earn her inexplicable trust in him. He wanted her so much, yet he was overwhelmed with the fear that he would disappoint her. He had only known release by his own hand in all these long years, and the mere thought of burying himself within her...

He took a deep breath of his own, knowing that he owed her the same amount of honesty that she’d given him. “I must tell you that I haven’t been with anyone since Isabella left me,” he told her, his voice rough. “I want to make this so good for you, but I fear the moment you touch me, I will explode. So... I’m going to ensure that you find your pleasure first.”

Lavender’s eyes softened, a mixture of compassion and desire swirling in their depths. She cupped his face gently. “Kendrick, are you telling me that you were faithful to her all those years, even though she abandoned you, until the day you kissed me in the rain?”

He swallowed thickly and nodded. “At first, I thought she might come back, but even after I had given up all hope of that... I didn’t make those vows lightly, Lavender. That’s not who I am.”

Her eyes grew bright with unshed tears. “I am sorry I ran away from you. I am sorry I didn’t wait and let you explain.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his in a kiss that was so tender it made his eyes burn. “But the last thing you have to worry about tonight is that you won’t please me. Even if we did nothing but kiss, it would please me.”

He met her gaze, seeing nothing but warmth and acceptance reflected back at him. With a deep breath, he let go of his fears. This was Lavender, and he knew she meant what she’d said. Besides, he intended to pleasure her so thoroughly that it wouldn’t matter how long he lasted. And they had all night. They could keep practicing until they got it right.

“You won’t regret this,” he whispered. “I promise you won’t.”

She bit her lip. “It’s been a long time for me as well. And I’m not as young as I used to be. I fear I won’t be pleasing to you... once you see me.”

He made a rough sound of denial. “Oh, Lavender. There is no way in hell I’m not going to be pleased by your body. I’ve been dreaming of getting to touch you since we first met. You are so beautiful to me.”

She blinked, a single tear finding its way down her cheek. “I just want to be intimate with you, be touched by you. I’ve been so lonely for so long.”

“I want that too,” he whispered, standing up and moving in front of her, tugging her to her feet. “Can I undress you? I want to see you. I’ve been dreaming of it for months.”

Lavender’s cheeks flushed a rosy hue as she met Kendrick’s gaze, her eyes filled with desire and tenderness. He reached up to unfasten the buttons of her blouse, his fingers trembling slightly with anticipation. With each button undone, he revealed more pale, delicate skin.

The fabric slipped from her shoulders, pooling at her feet, and moments later, her skirt and underthings joined it. At last, Lavender stood before Kendrick in all her vulnerable beauty. Her golden hair cascaded down her back and across her full, heavy breasts and round shoulders like a shimmering waterfall, framing her heart-shaped face with its smattering of freckles. She looked ethereal in the warm glow of the fire, like a goddess offering herself to him in some sort of ancient rite.

Kendrick’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of her, his gaze tracing the curves of her body with reverence and awe. She was a vision of purity and desire, a paradoxical mix. Her short, curvy frame, with her lovely breasts and wide hips, made him swallow convulsively. “You’re so perfect,” he said hoarsely. “I knew you would be.”

She’d been rigid with tension, but his words seemed to burn the last of her hesitance and nervousness away. She truly hadn’t thought he’d find her pleasing, which amazed him. How could she not know how beautiful she was? He vowed to himself that before he was done with her, she would know she was powerful and gorgeous in her soft, feminine beauty.

“Now it’s your turn,” she whispered.

With trembling hands, Kendrick reached for the buttons of his shirt, his movements slow and deliberate as he allowed Lavender to witness his own raw vulnerability. He certainly wasn’t as young as he’d been the last time he’d stood naked before a woman either, and time had certainly taken its toll. As each button came undone, revealing the expanse of his chest, he felt a sense of liberation wash over him. This act of baring himself to Lavender felt like shedding the weight of his past mistakes and regrets, allowing him to embrace the possibility of a new beginning with her.

His clothes were soon forgotten on the floor as he stood before her, hoping she liked what she saw as well. His cock was painfully engorged, jutting toward her and already weeping from the tip.

“You’re perfect too,” she whispered, her blue eyes raking over every part of him and lingering on his cock as though she had never seen one before. He wondered suddenly if maybe she hadn’t, if that buffoon she’d been married to had come to her in darkness.

He kissed her again, more passionately this time, as he bent her back across the big bed, his hands cradling her face with a gentle urgency. Lavender met his kiss with equal fervor, her fingers tangling in his hair as she arched into his touch. The room seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them, finally skin to skin, the way they’d both wanted. Her softness welcomed him, easily giving way to his hard angles.

Lavender’s taste was a mixture of sweetness and fire, strawberries and chocolate, leaving him hungry for more of her. With each caress and touch, he felt himself unraveling, shedding the layers of guilt and pain that had bound his heart for so long.

As he kissed her, he let his fingertips trail lower, cupping her lovely breasts, loving the soft weight of them. He lightly pinched her nipple, and she made a soft mewl of desire.

“Do you like that?” he broke away to whisper.

She nodded, her eyes unfocused. “I love it,” she managed, and so he replaced his hands with his lips, kissing and nipping at her while she buried her hands in his hair and urged him on.

Eventually, he skated his fingertips along her soft round belly, then delved into the soft patch of pale hair at the juncture of her thighs. “Part your legs for me, my love,” he breathed.

She gave a soft, breathy sigh, allowing her thighs to fall open for his questing hands, and he was thrilled to find her wet for him. He slid his fingertips across her crease, and she cried out with unmistakable pleasure. He loved how responsive she was, her soft sounds driving him mad.

Smiling in delight, he gently entered her with one finger, using his thumb to seek out the little bud of her womanhood and swirl around it as he mimicked the act of penetration.

“Kendrick!” she cried, sounding confused. “I don’t understand what you’re doing...”

“Just relax,” he breathed, adding a second finger, so aroused he could barely stand it. “Just try to relax and enjoy it.”

She gave a soft moan, her fingers tangling in his hair until it almost hurt as he continued to make love to her with his fingers. God, she smelled so good...

Before he even realized what he was doing, he’d replaced his thumb with his mouth, swirling his tongue over the little bundle of nerves he’d been told were the source of a woman’s pleasure. The heady taste and scent blasted through his senses just as she tightened her thighs around his shoulders and gave a keening cry, clenching and coming apart around his fingertips, which were still buried deep inside her.

The sense of pride and satisfaction that pulsed through him was like nothing he’d ever known before, and he pushed himself up beside her, gathering her into his arms and pressing sweet kisses to the top of her head. “I’ve got you,” he whispered. “I’ve got you, sunshine.”

After a long moment, she buried her face against his chest, releasing a dazed-sounding laugh. “So, that’s what you meant...”

He still couldn’t believe this was the first time she’d experienced an orgasm. He wanted to ask her why she’d never pleasured herself, but he supposed gently bred young ladies were told that touching themselves was bad, something they would go to hell for. He’d save that conversation for another time, because he needed to be inside her so badly he feared he might die if he didn’t accomplish it soon.

He tilted her chin to stare down into her lovely, flushed face. “Does that mean you enjoyed it?”

“I’ve never enjoyed anything more,” she whispered, hugging him tightly. “Thank you so much. I never knew it could feel like that.”

“You should have,” he said fiercely. “You deserve to receive just as much pleasure from me as I do from you.”

“But you haven’t had any pleasure yet,” she told him daringly.

He laughed roughly. “Trust me, sunshine. Seeing you come undone at my fingertips is more pleasure than I ever again expected to have again in this life.” He brushed a few strands of golden hair from her face. “I’m so glad I got to be the first to show you.”

“So am I,” she told him, her heart in her eyes.

He swallowed, feeling like a king as she leaned forward and kissed him hungrily. He wondered if she liked the taste of herself on his tongue. But then all coherent thoughts fled as her soft hand trailed down his chest and across his stomach, closing around his aching length. Her touch was tentative, but he loved that she’d taken this initiative and was trying to make him feel good as well.

He broke the kiss and rolled onto his back, offering himself up to her questing hands, knowing that he needed to give in to her touch now so that he could make it last later. “That feels so good,” he said hoarsely, closing his hand around hers and showing her how he liked it.

She was a fast learner, and within minutes, the pleasure was simply too much. His back arched off the bed, and he cried out, seeing stars as he exploded into her palm.

Much as he had done with her, she hugged him tightly, whispering soft words of endearment as he slowly came back to himself. “Thank you,” he mumbled, feeling so relaxed he thought he might melt into the bed. “I needed that so badly.”

She gave him an impish smile, then rolled away and found a washcloth to clean them both up with. He admired the sight of her moving around the room naked, so glad that she felt comfortable enough to do so. When she was done, she sank back beside him, spooning herself perfectly in his arms. For a while, he simply held her, gently rubbing her back.

Sighing, she leaned into his touch, reminding him of a kitten. The thought made him smile. She was so soft... so sweet... Dear God, how had he gotten so lucky?

He brushed his lips against the back of her neck, and she pushed her lovely round bottom back against his groin. He ran his hand down the smooth curve of her back and then learned every inch of her beautiful bum with his fingertips. “I almost came on the spot when you bent over on the beach that day to pet Daisy... I don’t think you have any idea how beautiful you were with your trousers molded to your bottom,” he breathed. “I’ve been able to think of little else ever since. And you’re even lovelier here than I imagined.”

“Am I?” she asked, sounding genuinely surprised. “I always thought my bottom was too big.”

“It’s perfect in every way,” he murmured, his cock already swelling once again. “Have you ever been taken from behind?”

She shook her head and looked over her shoulder, her eyes widening. “You mean... like horses do?”

“Sort of,” he murmured, kissing her bare shoulder as he urged her legs apart a bit and slid his fingers inside her once again. “I think you’ll like it.”

“What do you want me to do?” she asked shakily, and he absolutely loved how willing she was to try something she’d never done before.

“Get on your hands and knees,” he whispered, excitement surging within him. This was even better than his fantasies.

She did as he asked, rising so that her sweet round bottom was facing him. He got to his knees behind her, running his hands over the sweet curves again, loving the way she looked like this. She was still so wet for him, and he took himself in hand, slowly rubbing himself against her slick heat before easing himself inside her hot, tight passage.

Moaning, she pressed back against him until he was fully seated inside her. “How does that feel?” he asked. “I hope you like it. Because I feel as though I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

“It feels good,” she said huskily. “So full.”

He reached around with one hand, rubbing his fingertips over her sweet spot while he began slowly rocking in and out of her. Each thrust made him see stars, and it was all he could do to maintain the two separate motions. But he wanted to feel her come around his cock. He wanted it more than he’d ever thought he could want anything.

Her movements became more erratic. She started chanting his name, and he had never heard anything sweeter. “Come for me,” he whispered, intensifying the pressure of his fingers as he pounded into her, having lost all abandon.

“Yes,” she gasped. “Oh, Kendrick, Kendrick...”

And then her internal muscles clenched around him, making his vision go black for a moment as he came as well, the feeling so incredible he wondered if perhaps he really had died and gone to heaven.

La petite mort , the French called it, and for the first time, he understood why. The little death. This woman would either be the death of him or his salvation...

She sagged beneath him, and he realized he was probably crushing her. Rolling, he pulled her with him until they were once again spooning side by side. He pulled the blankets around them, tucking her close beside him.

“Are you all right?” he breathed, pressing a sleepy kiss to her temple. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No, it didn’t hurt. It was wonderful,” she told him breathlessly. “I never knew...” Lavender trailed off because words failed her. She had no idea how to explain what she was feeling.

She let out a soft sigh as Kendrick’s fingers traced delicate patterns on her skin. She could feel the tension she’d been carrying around with her for so long dissolving with each tender touch, replaced by a warm, tingling sensation that seemed to emanate from the very core of her being.

She had never known that lovemaking could be like this. The feelings Kendrick aroused in her were like nothing she’d ever felt with Geoffrey. His lovemaking had been perfunctory even in the best of times, although he’d always been gentle. Perhaps he’d been too gentle. He’d never made her feel as though she was something he couldn’t live without. And that’s what Kendrick had given her.

Looking over her shoulder at him, she found him watching her with such gorgeous intensity, as though he’d never seen anything as beautiful as she was. It was a heady feeling for someone who had never felt valued in her life.

She lay there against him, feeling more connected to him than she’d ever felt with anyone. The warmth of his body pressed along hers was the most comforting thing she’d ever known. But as the silence stretched between them, she suddenly felt awkward. Did he want her to leave now? He hadn’t asked her to stay. Perhaps he would rather sleep alone. She had no idea of the etiquette of such things.

She should probably go back to her own bed.

Allowing herself to enjoy his warmth for one more moment, she rolled away and started to get up.

“Don’t go,” he said softly, catching her hand. “Stay with me tonight.”

Relieved, she gladly lay back down beside him, and he pulled her gently into the circle of his arms once again.

“Tonight was amazing,” he murmured as she laid her head on his chest. He gently rubbed her back, his touch so tender it brought tears to her eyes. “Maybe the best night of my life. I don’t want it to end yet.”

“I’ve never felt like that before,” she whispered.

He chuckled, obviously pleased. “I’m glad. I want nothing more than to make you feel good.”

“Well, you succeeded,” she said quietly, the soothing comfort of his touch on her back and the long day making her drowsy.

As Lavender drifted closer to sleep, she could feel Kendrick’s steady heartbeat beneath her ear, a calming rhythm that matched the rise and fall of his chest with each breath. She had never felt this sense of safety and security.

This must be what love felt like. She had thought she’d known before, but she hadn’t. Not really.

In the soft glow of the flickering candlelight, Lavender turned her head slightly to press a gentle kiss against Kendrick’s chest, feeling the rise of his chest beneath her lips. The intimacy they had shared moments ago lingered in the air, a tangible connection that bound them together in ways words could never fully express. He was hers, and she was his. She felt it to her very core.

She, too, wished the night would never end.