Eight Hunting Lyons (The Lyon’s Den Connected World)

Chapter Thirteen

T he candle flame wavered, casting strange shadows on the stone walls of the Keep as Thomas crept along the corridor from his chamber to Honoria’s solar, mindful of making too much noise. When he’d proposed the solar for tonight’s tryst, he’d not given a thought as to how he would get from his room to hers. His parents had always shared the master chamber, so it never occurred to him that if he wanted to be intimate with his wife, one of them would need to walk from one chamber to the other. Not that there was anything shameful in a husband and wife sharing their connubial intimacies, but he didn’t wish to announce it to the entire house. Thus, the need for his stealthy pace.

Attired in a blue silk banyan and slippers—and nothing else—Thomas feared one of the staff discovering him in dishabille almost as much as he feared the consequences of his coming encounter with Honoria. Even though she’d consented to him sharing her bed tonight, he wasn’t completely certain she hadn’t agreed out of a sense of duty. While that was admirable and made him value her even more, he had wanted their joining to be from mutual affection and desire rather than mere obligation.

But his own actions had prohibited that now. He must, therefore, take excruciating care to be gentle and patient with his wife, in the hopes she would find some measure of pleasure in their joining. Not an easy task when every time he looked at her, he wanted nothing more than to plunge himself into her depths and claim her as his.

He must go as slowly as possible the first time and hope the experience would not turn her from him irrevocably.

At last, he stood before the solar door. Pushing all trepidations aside, Thomas squared his shoulders and scratched on the door.

A faint “come in” made him send a brief prayer heavenward before opening the door.

A blaze of candlelight met him as he entered, and he blinked at the bright light, dazzled. Honoria must have ordered every candle in the room to be lit, which seemed odd. He scanned the room and, to his surprise, discovered her already in bed, the last place he’d expected her to be. A reticent bride would need to be coaxed into bed, wouldn’t she? Perhaps, being resigned to her fate, Honoria had elected to simply begin where she would inevitably end up. She was a practical woman, after all. He set the candlestick on the table next to the decanter of wine he’d had sent up earlier. “Good evening, Honoria.”

“Good evening, Thomas.” She didn’t, however, look resigned or sad at all. Instead, she sat propped up in the bed, smiling broadly at him, her cheeks touched with pink, her dark hair fanned out against the pillows, looking more irresistible than ever before.

His mouth dried, and he had to wait a moment before he could speak. “Would you like some wine, my dear?”

“Yes, please.” She sat up straighter, the covers dropping away to reveal that lacy nightgown again.

With an effort, Thomas turned his gaze away from the comely lady and busied himself with pouring wine for them both. Were his hands shaking? He breathed deeply, amazed at his jitters, before turning and stepping toward the bed. “Here you are.”

Honoria took the glass but kept her gaze on him. “Thank you. This was very thoughtful.”

“I find a glass of wine before bed very soothing.” Her blue eyes had darkened even more. “I thought you might like it as well.”

She sniffed the wine, then took a cautious sip. A smile spread over her face once more. “It is quite good.”

“I’d been saving this vintage for a special occasion. Nothing else will ever come close to being as special as tonight.”

Her cheeks grew a darker pink.

“Shall we drink to our marriage, my dear? To a long and happy life together?” He certainly wished for that, although not all such wishes were granted.

“To our long and happy life.” She raised her glass, and when he did the same, she sipped the wine again. Deeper this time, still not taking her gaze from him. When she’d finished, she set the glass on the bedside table and held out her hand to him. “Will you come to bed, Thomas?”

Thomas’s heart stuttered. That was the very last request he’d expected from her tonight, but a good thing, surely.

“Of course, my dear.” He downed the rest of his wine in a gulp and set the glass next to hers. He took her hand and sat on the bed next to her and cupped her lovely face. “You have made me the happiest of men, Honoria.” Thomas leaned forward, gently kissing her full, luscious lips. She tasted of sweetness, not only of the wine but of Honoria herself. How he longed to be able to please her tonight, to have her enjoy the joining of their bodies as something born of love, not duty.

He deepened the kiss, as he’d done repeatedly during their time together. She’d started to respond to him, as she did now, cupping his head with both her hands, thrusting her tongue into his mouth, which aroused him like nothing else. Tonight, however, she moved her hands from his head to his shoulders, and with a slight motion, sent his banyan slithering to the floor.

Completely startled, it took Thomas a moment to register what she had done—and that he now sat before her completely nude. He broke the kiss, only because he wanted to see her face for himself. “Honoria? Do you…are you….” He had no idea how to ask if she desired him as well.

“Thomas.” The candlelight softened her eyes, giving them a luminous glint. “Will you please make love to me?”

She took his breath away.

“It will be my utmost pleasure, my love.” He cupped her face and kissed her long and lovingly, scattering his kisses from her forehead to her eyelids, her nose, and finally her mouth, savoring again that utter sweetness. “I am sorry, my love, that the time is not what you would have chosen.”

She tipped her head back to stare at him. “But it is what I choose, Thomas, I swear it. I had already decided, after our kiss in the garden, before Danford appeared. I wanted you then. Wanted to be your wife in all ways possible.” Honoria smiled and rested her forehead against his. “Had things been different, I would have told you when you kissed me goodnight tonight.” She sighed softly. “I love you, Thomas. It has come to me quickly, I know, after the fuss I put up when we married. But you have shown me you are an honorable man, worthy of all the love I can give you.” She ran her hand down his chest, making him shiver as his cock leaped to attention. “Beginning here and now.”

Honoria couldn’t believe she was saying these things to Thomas. Of course, she meant every word, but she’d never spoken so brazenly before. But then, she’d never been married before—or alone with a man. Somehow it emboldened her. This was allowed now. She could be as shameless with her husband as she wished to be. And looking at Thomas’s sleek, beautiful body, she wanted to be an absolute wanton with this man.

“Oh, Honoria.” His eyes, already darkened, turned pure black with desire. He pressed her back into the pillows, kissing her lips, her cheek, her ear.

Oh, what a marvelous sensation. His ragged breathing told her of his need and inflamed hers in turn as he ran his tongue around the rim of her ear before sucking her earlobe into his mouth. Honoria groaned with the pleasure of it and opened her neck to his wandering lips.

Taking up that invitation, Thomas kissed downward onto her shoulder, then around to the top of her nightgown. He raised his head, then shook it. “I think this needs to go.”

Before she could quite understand what he meant, he’d grasped the neckline of her night rail and tore it neatly down the middle, exposing her breasts to his hot, avid gaze.

“Thomas!” She could scarcely believe he’d done something so wild. Then he lowered his head to her breast and engulfed her nipple with his mouth, sending her senses reeling.

Honoria had believed she understood the intimacies she would share with her husband. Her mother had spoken to her the night before her wedding, giving her a general idea of what would happen on her wedding night. But Thomas’s current form of attention had not figured in that talk at all. Now that the first shock had worn off a little, she had to admit her husband’s actions were rather…delightful. As he sucked and licked all around her nipple, a delicious sort of heat began to form deep inside her. When he changed to the other nipple, clamping his lips around the already hard tip and tickling it with this tongue, Honoria squealed and pulled his head closer to her. “Oh, Thomas. Oh, goodness.”

He smiled against her flesh, then his hand found her left breast and gently tweaked that nipple.

The heat at her core soared, and Honoria panted, unable to get enough air into her lungs for the fire in her belly. How much more of this could she stand without fainting dead away?

Mouth still busy with her breast, Thomas slipped his hand down her belly, sliding it over the naked flesh of her stomach.

What was he—“Oh! Oh, Thomas, what are you doing?”

His hand had continued downward until it brushed against the curls of her nether parts. He raised his head and smiled lazily at her. “You’ll see in a moment, sweetheart. If that’s all right?”

On the tip of her tongue to tell him to stop, Honoria gazed at his charmingly rakish smile, and the words melted away. She nodded and dropped her head back onto the pillow. She’d wanted to be wanton with her husband. This was her chance.

Thomas resumed his attentions to her breast, then continued his quest into the thicket of curls.

Her body now on fire, Honoria feared she would swoon from the heat that coiled at her inner core.

His fingers brushed against a small, sensitive spot near her private entrance.

A jolt of fire shot to her core, and her hips bucked upward. Honoria gasped, and he stroked there again. “Oh, what…what are you…doing?” Her last word came out low and guttural.

He raised his head and stilled his hand. “Do you like what I’m doing?”

She nodded. “Yes. I’ve never felt anything like this.”

“I didn’t think so.” He swirled his fingers over the spot, and Honoria moaned with delight at the strange sensation. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No.” She shook her head vehemently. If these feelings were part of her wifely duties, then she wanted to be the perfect wife for Thomas. “I want…more.”

“Then more you shall have, my sweet.” Staring deeply into her eyes, he resumed stroking her intimate parts, creating a new sensation in her core, as though her body was winding itself round and round.

If only he could tighten it enough…

Thomas stroked deeper, pressing the little button gently but firmly and…

The world flew apart around her. Honoria called his name loudly, her hips thrashing wildly as deep within her core throbbed relentlessly, sending waves of pleasure crashing through every part of her body.

Thomas stroked her again, and the throbbing continued, making Honoria sob with joy at the unending happiness. He kissed her lips and withdrew his hand. “Did you like that, sweetheart?”

“Oh, yes.” She could only whisper, so drained was she by the explosion of intense… sensation. No words she possessed could describe the awe of that moment. Her breathing calmed at last so she could speak. “My mother never told me about that.”

Her husband chuckled and shifted his body to lie atop her. “I expect she wouldn’t.”

Honoria gazed into his face. “But she did tell me about something different. Other things husbands and wives do.”

He nodded soberly. “There is more, my love. So much more that we will discover bit by bit. But for now, there is one other thing we must do to truly become husband and wife. To give me a chance at producing an heir.”

Suddenly registering his weight upon her, Honoria tensed. “It hurts, she told me.”

He nodded. “I cannot tell you how much or how little, but I promise you this—other than this one time, I will never willingly hurt you.” His gaze searched her face. “Do you trust me, Honoria?”

After taking in a long breath, she nodded. She did trust him, more than any other man. He would not hurt her if he could prevent it. “I do, Thomas.” She could not have spoken those words in truth a week ago, but so much had changed since then. “I do.”

Thomas leaned down and kissed her, then sat up and said, “I think we need to get rid of this.” He took the tattered nightgown and ripped it the rest of the way so she was completely exposed to his hungry gaze. “You are so beautiful, Honoria.” He traced a finger down over her breast, tightening her nipple as he circled it before continuing across her stomach. “I have waited a lifetime, it seems, to make you mine, my love.” He dipped his head down and kissed her belly.

Honoria gasped but dropped her head back on the pillows and forced herself to relax on the mattress. Perhaps she could enjoy some of this until the pain came.

With a sudden movement, Thomas hefted his body over top of hers, straddling her. Gently, he urged his knee between her tightly closed legs. “Can you open for me, love? Don’t be afraid.”

Eyes squeezed shut, she slowly widened the gap between her legs, then he was pulling her knees up on either side of him. “That’s right. Almost ready.”

Heat between her thighs, then something hard prodded at her opening. Something big. Oh, maybe she didn’t really want to do this. About to tell him no, he must stop, she opened her eyes to the sight of Thomas’s face, his brows drawn together.

“Are you all right, my love?” The concern in his voice, the distress that was totally for her, swept all her doubts away.

“Yes, I am.” She nodded and managed to smile at him.

That charmingly lazy smile lit his face as he surged forward into her.

Honoria’s eyes widened, the sensation of being stretched down there so foreign that she gasped. There was a little flicker of pain, like a pinch inside, then Thomas grunted and pushed forward again. The odd feeling of him being above her and actually inside her made her dizzy.

“Honoria, are you all right? Does it hurt?” Thomas peered into her face as if expecting her to swoon.

“Don’t worry. I am well.” She smiled to reassure him. “It only hurt for a moment. But it does feel strange.”

The worry lines on his face smoothed out. “I imagine it must.” He kissed her lips, pressing her deeply. “Let me see if I can make it feel better.” With that, he began to move in and out, back and forth. “Put your legs around me and just relax.”

Cautiously, Honoria wrapped her legs around his naked back, which raised her hips. Suddenly, the push and pull worked perfectly. Her body worked in tandem with his, meeting his every thrust at the exactly right moment. The heat from before began to grow within her, where Thomas was filling her up again and again. “Oh, Thomas.” Her breath came in short bursts as that exquisite coiling started winding her toward the pinnacle. “Will it happen again? Like before?”

He didn’t reply but instead sped up his thrusts.

“Thomas! Thomas!” Honoria moaned, thrashing her head from side to side as the coil exploded around the part of Thomas that was buried deep within her.

“Honoria, oh, God.” He strained forward one last time, his hot seed pouring into her. Then he slumped on top of her, his weight pinning her down for a moment before he rolled to the side and lay on his back. Breath quick as if he’d run a race, he flung one hand over his head, and with the other gathered her to him, guiding her head to his chest. “Oh, Honoria. Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry, but at the end, I couldn’t stop myself.”

Heart beat slowing, Honoria turned toward him. She hoped he could see the huge smile on her face. “Whatever you did, you did not hurt me. You pleasured me, though. Beyond anything I’ve ever known.”

“Thank God. Because as soon as I’m able, I want to do this all over again.”

She raised her head to stare at him, incredulous. From what her mother had intimated, husbands and wives did not share their duties more than once or twice a week. “We can do this more than once a week?”

With a growl, Thomas pulled himself over top of her again. “We can do this as often as we wish, or as often as I’m able.”

She must have looked puzzled, because he chuckled and kissed her again. “Men must wait between times, to renew themselves. Like having to reload a pistol before it will fire again.”

“How long does that take?” Now that she’d gotten her breath back, she couldn’t wait to make love to her husband again and again.

“Different times for different men.” He stroked her breast, and something nudged against her thighs. “With the sight and touch of you before me,” Thomas smiled lecherously before seizing her nipple in his mouth and drawing on it, “I don’t think it’s going to take me very long at all to reload my weapon.”

The now familiar throb between her legs began almost immediately. She moaned and pulled him back to her breast. “Good. We have weeks to make up for.”