His Reluctant Lady Page 18

  He shifted away from her so that she was no longer touching him and clasped her hands in his. “I wasn’t lying when I said I enjoyed your work. I enjoy it immensely. It’s a shame you have to hide behind a gentleman’s name, but given your family and society, I can certainly understand why.”

  Touched, she smiled. “I do it because I love it. I tried writing books that weren’t gothic horror, but my heart wasn’t in it.”

  “You can’t force yourself to do what you’re not interested in.” He kissed her hands then looked at her in a way that made her weak in the knees. “I’m glad we had this talk.” When he stood up, she fully expected him to take off his robe, but he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “It’s been a long day. I’ll let you get your rest.”

  “What?” She didn’t mean to shriek but her voice came out sharper than she intended. He waited for her to continue, so she rose to her feet and approached him. With a light chuckle, she said, “This is silly. We might as well go to my bed since you’re here.” If that wasn’t another clear invitation, she didn’t know what was!

  He shrugged. “The hour is late. Maybe we’ll do it tomorrow night.”

  He turned toward the door, so she stepped in front of him and pointed to the floor. “Wait! I think I saw something.” She leaned down to inspect the rug, letting her robe slip off one of her shoulders. When she stood back up, she shrugged, an action which caused the robe to fall further down, exposing almost her entire left breast. “I was mistaken. There’s nothing on the rug. I thought I saw something shiny, like glass. It would have been awful if you’d stepped on it.”

  He glanced at the floor. “How thoughtful of you to look out for me.” He gave her a chaste kiss. “We’ve come a long way since we got married. It’s nice.”

  As he reached the door, she called out, “I can’t allow things to end like this.”

  He stopped before opening the door and looked at her. “Oh?”

  “It’s not right. I am your wife and you’re my husband. I should give you a child. If not for your own pleasure, then we ought to do it anyway. I can’t have a baby any other way.”

  For a moment, he seemed to consider it but shook his head. “Maybe some other night.” He opened the door and went into his bedchamber.

  Alarmed, she followed him. “What do you mean maybe some other night?”

  “I’m just not up to trying for a baby tonight.”

  “But what if I’m going through a woman’s time of month when you’re ready to try?”

  “I’ll take my chances.” He pulled back his bed covers and fluffed his pillow. “Look at how pleasant things were between us in there.” He motioned to her bedchamber. “I want things to be like that all the time.”

  “You mean you want to spend all our time talking?”

  “Yes. I found it refreshing. Now I see why you suggested I go to your bed and just talk, and I’ve come to the conclusion we’ll never have to make love again.”

  “What?”

  “There’s no need to thank me.”

  He let the robe fall to the floor, but his back was to her so she couldn’t tell if he was still aroused or not. Her body ached to join him, her flesh screaming for release. She had no idea it could be so painful if her sexual needs went unmet. Perhaps if gentlemen went without lovemaking for too long, they really did lose interest. What a horrible thought!

  Clearing her throat, she stepped closer to the bed as he slipped under the covers. “Perhaps I was a little hasty by suggesting we just talk.”

  “But you wouldn’t have said it if you didn’t mean it, would you?”

  “Well...”

  After a moment, he sat up in bed, the covers concealing him from the waist down, something that seemed surprisingly seductive to her. A sly grin crossed his face. “Why don’t you just admit you want to make love to me?”

  She thought to protest, but he removed the covers and her body throbbed with the need to take him into her. He beckoned for her to join him and her feet moved forward, excitement rushing through her veins. He undid the strap on her robe and gently pushed the robe off of her. His lips brushed the skin below her neck and she sighed in pleasure, her eyes closing so she could focus on how wonderful he felt.

  “I want you to say it,” he whispered, his hands slowly moving up her body. “You can be vulnerable with me. I love you, Agatha. I want to give you pleasure. I want this to be something you can freely enjoy.”

  She lowered her head and kissed him, and though the kiss was more insistent than she intended, she couldn’t stop herself from the passion mounting up inside her. Her tongue traced his lower lip until he accepted her into his mouth. She tasted him, brushing his tongue, deepening their kiss. She brought her hands to his shoulders and nudged him onto his back so that she could climb on top of him.

  Shifting, she settled over his arousal and moaned. Her hips moved against him, her actions more aggressive than she intended. But everything felt much too good to stop. She left a trail of kisses from his mouth to his neck. Her mouth settled on his ear, and she licked the sensitive area just below it, smiling when he shivered in delight. She traced his ear with her tongue and was rewarded with a groan. His hands squeezed her hips and guided her movements. She gasped and quickened the pace, savoring the way his male hardness felt against her sensitive nub.

  She bit her lower lip to stop herself from moaning any louder as she neared her peak, but he whispered, “Don’t hold back. I want to hear you as you receive your pleasure.”

  Her orgasm crashed over her then and she cried out, for the first time not resisting the urge to be loud. She grew still and continued to moan as each wave of pleasure coursed through her.

  Embracing her, he rolled her over and kissed her neck. Out of breath, she remained still as he took control. He felt so very wonderful. His hands traced her body, going slow and caressing every part of her, rousing her desire once more. He teased her nipples so that sparks of pleasure ran straight to her core and she moaned, this time not caring how soft or loud she was.

  “You like that?” he whispered. “How about this?” His fingers went lower and settled between her legs. He caressed the wet folds of her flesh, and she lifted her hips and groaned. “Would you like me to go into you?” Using one of his fingers, he brushed it against her opening, letting it hover slightly over it, just shy of going in.

  “Yes, yes I want you inside me.” She shifted so that he was in her.

  Her core was sensitive to his touch, her arousal heightened from her climax just minutes ago. She wanted another orgasm, needed another one.

  Reaching down, she guided two more of his fingers into her. “I need you.”

  He obliged and stroked her. “Do you desire to make love, Agatha?”

  “Yes.” She grasped the sheets beneath her and squirmed. “I love doing this. I love doing it with you.”

  He lowered his head and kissed her cheek, but her attention was drawn to her core where he continued his ministrations. When she experienced her second orgasm, she cried out his name, no longer feeling that it was wrong to let him know she enjoyed being intimate with him.

  Once her head cleared, she realized he was kissing her, his actions indicating his need to find completion in what they started. And she wanted to give him completion. She wanted to know he received pleasure from her body, just as she’d found pleasure from his.

  She rolled him over so that she was on top of him and this time, she took him into her. “You feel good,” she whispered, her breathing still uneven.

  “You do, too,” he murmured and cupped her breasts in his hands.

  She moved her hips, closing her eyes so she could focus on how good he felt. They worked in unison as he voiced his appreciation for her, murmuring how grateful he was that they were together. Her body flushed with pleasure, this time more from his words than their actions, and she realized that even as they were being physically intimate, they were also growing closer emotionally.

  Why hadn’t she understood
there was more to love making than the physical act, that their hearts were as entwined as their bodies were? After he found his release, she drew closer to him. She’d never been more content to be in bed. He wrapped her in his arms, and she sighed.

  “I love you, Agatha,” he softly said, brushing his lips on the top of her head.

  “I love you, too,” she admitted.

  “Good.”

  Perhaps stating her feelings didn’t make her weak after all. Maybe it actually made her stronger. She contemplated all of this while he drifted off to sleep. Deciding she’d stay in his bed for the rest of the night, she pulled the covers over them and returned to his arms. This was definitely one of the nicest moments of their marriage, and she was determined they would have many more just like it in the future, even if she had to go to his bed every night to make it happen.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “She what?” Agatha turned to face her aunt who paced the drawing room floor in her townhouse. When her aunt came over for a visit, this was the last thing she expected. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I don’t know what to think.” Her aunt groaned and sat in the chair. “I knew she fancied Mister Landry, but I thought she’d have more sense than to run off and elope with him, especially since she was engaged to Lord Clement.”

  After a long moment passed between them, Agatha looked back at her. “Did Sophie really elope with him?”

  Her aunt nodded.

  She stared out the window and considered her options. There really weren’t any. Her sister had just ruined her life, and there was nothing she could do about it. Mister Landry had married her for the money, and now he’d get it. She could only hope he’d be kind enough to ease her into the consummation of their marriage. If he did that much, she’d feel much better about the marriage. With a long sigh, she rubbed her forehead. “Does Lord Clement know?”

  “Not yet. I wasn’t sure what to tell him and thought since your husband is his cousin that…”

  She took in her aunt’s hopeful expression and nodded. “Christopher’s the logical choice.” And since she doubted he’d be tactful about it, she would go with him. Going over to her aunt who pulled out a handkerchief, she helped her stand up and rubbed her back as she led her to the door. “Christopher and I will tell Lord Clement at once.”

  Being a gentleman, he had his pride, and it’d be better if he knew before the gossip spread across the Ton, though not of her own doing. She couldn’t report something like this to the Tittletattle, not when she knew how kind Perry was.

  Just as she and her aunt made it to the door, Christopher rounded the corner of the hall and smiled when he saw them. “Ah, to what do I owe this pleasure, Mrs. Garrison?”

  “I’m afraid my dear aunt is distressed,” Agatha answered for her. Lowering her voice, she added, “It turns out my sister has eloped with Mister Landry.”

  His eyes grew wide and for a moment she was afraid he’d laugh, but to her relief, his expression remained solemn. “That’s very unfortunate.”

  “It is,” her aunt replied, pressing her hand to her chest. “I’m afraid this won’t bode well for Sophie’s future, but what can we do? It’s not like we can chase after her and undo this travesty.”

  Christopher paused for a moment then said, “I’ll see to it that Mister Landry will treat her with the upmost respect.”

  “Will you?”

  “Yes. She’s my sister-in-law. I have a vested interest in her happiness.”

  Though Agatha knew he meant well, she had her doubts about Mister Landry. “You should go back home,” she told her aunt, leading her to the front door. “Make sure you get plenty of rest and remember to eat well. We’ll be off to Lord Clement’s to give him the news.” She glanced at Christopher who indicated his agreement. When they reached the door, she hugged her. “If Sophie needs anything, she’ll be welcome here, so try not to worry.”

  “I’ll try,” her aunt promised then left.

  Agatha waited until her aunt was in her carriage before turning to the footman. “We’ll need the carriage at once. We need to go to Lord Clement’s residence.”

  He bowed and hurried to fetch the coach driver.

  Christopher closed the gap between them and shot her a pointed look. “All of this is ridiculous. Mister Landry will be good to your sister. You and your aunt are fretting over nothing.”

  “I’d like to believe you, but I’ve been married to someone who was charming until the wedding was over. Some gentleman are only nice long enough to secure wealth.”

  “Agatha,” he pulled her into his arms then brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, “my darling Agatha, do you still doubt me when I tell you your worries are for nothing?”

  She started to protest but knew it’d be a lie and, worse, he’d see right through it. “All right. I do have my doubts. Do gentlemen tell each other what their intentions are with the lady they intend to marry?”

  A wicked grin crossed his face before he kissed her. “I can’t speak for all gentlemen, but I didn’t have to tell anyone what my intentions were with you. It was understood.”

  She glanced around the entryway to make sure no one heard him. “You don’t mind your words very well,” she whispered. “I don’t think it’s wise to say such things outside the bedchamber.”

  He chuckled and kissed her again, this time letting his lips linger on hers, an action which made her melt against him. Oh, how wonderful it was to be desired so well! When he ended the kiss, he said, “You should know by now that I refuse to keep my behavior restricted to the bedchamber.”

  “Yes, I remember what you did to me on my desk.” Her face flushed. If her aunt had any idea what had happened in the drawing room that morning… Clearing her throat, she pulled away from him. “You’re a wicked gentleman, Christopher. Assaulting me while I was trying to write...”

  He brought her back into his arms and kissed her neck. “I just wanted to help you with one of your more interesting scenes.”

  “I don’t intend to put a love scene in the book.”

  “But it’d be more interesting if you did.”

  “I’m sure for you it would be, but I’d rather keep people up at night, wondering if something is lurking in the shadows.”

  “You have an evil streak in you, my love, if you take delight in scaring people.”

  She chuckled and kissed him. “I happen to think it’s fun to get scared when I read a book.”

  “Which is why it’s good we sleep in the same bed. I sleep better knowing you’re there to protect me.”

  Noting the carriage pulling up to the house, she stepped away from him. “How do you think your cousin will take the news?”

  “You’re growing soft, Agatha. I didn’t think you cared about anything but his title and wealth.”

  She got ready to give him a scolding remark for casting her in such an unflattering light when she saw his teasing grin. Relaxing, she decided to concede to his observation. “I suppose in the past I have placed more emphasis on his title and wealth, but then I got to know him and realized he’s got a good heart. It’s unfortunate Sophie didn’t take the time to discover that as well. I just hope he doesn’t lose hope. I know there’s a lady out there who’ll need someone as good-hearted as him.”

  He escorted her down the steps of the townhouse, and once they were in the carriage, he closed the gap between them. “Try not to be discouraged. My cousin never gives up. He’ll be back at the balls, seeking out another lady to marry. He does this every year. I’m sure he has the routine perfected.”

  She tried to ignore the way her body reacted to his touch as he traced the skin beneath her ear. “But that must get discouraging.”

  “He hasn’t voiced a complaint.”

  “I don’t think he would. He’s not the kind of gentleman who makes a fuss.”

  He kissed her cheek. “He’ll be fine.”

  With a sigh, she grabbed his hand before it went to her breast. “You can’t do this right now.
I need to focus on what I’m going to tell him.”

  “Are you saying I’m distracting?”

  Noting his teasing tone, she clasped her hands around his and giggled. “Very. Now we need to figure out what we can tell Perry.”

  “What’s there to say? Sophie ran off with another gentleman. We’re sorry. Then we leave before he blames it all on his cane.”

  “Oh, that’s silly. He won’t blame it on his cane.”

  Though he rolled his eyes, he didn’t answer.

  She spent the rest of the carriage ride debating different ways to tell Perry the bad news, but when the carriage came to a stop, she didn’t feel any more ready than she had when they left.

  Christopher squeezed her hand. “Everything will be fine. You’re only here to tell him he has to find another lady to marry, not that he’s going to die.”

  She released her breath and nodded, still not sure how she was going to tactfully handle this. Tact, after all, had never been one of her strong points. Usually, she said whatever was on her mind, and that wasn’t always the best thing to say. Granted, there were times when she thought someone needed to hear what was on her mind. Right now, she’d like to tell Sophie exactly what she thought of this whole thing!

  The footman opened the door and she squared her shoulders back and left the carriage.

  Christopher followed suit. “You’re ever the diligent soldier, aren’t you?”

  “What do you mean?” She glanced at the carriage as they walked up the stairs to the townhouse.

  “Your expression and your body. It speaks volumes about your intentions. You are determined to do this no matter how painful it may be.”

  “I have to do it because my aunt refuses to, and I can’t let him find out through the scandalmongers.”

  They stopped at the door and he knocked on it. “So this isn’t Tittletattle worthy?”

  “No, it won’t be in there. At least not by me.”