Chapter Ten #2
“I understand that sentiment all too well.” He didn’t move and neither did she, for she was content to revel in the feeling of being joined with him after the trials they’d gone through this week. “Damn, Mary, I was truly concerned the past few days.”
“So was I. Truly, it was the first real test of our union.” She kissed his lips, his cheek, the side of his neck, ran a series of nips and nibbles beneath his jaw that caused his length to jump deep inside her and a groan to rasp in her ear.
There was simply nothing like being close to her husband like this.
“Will you continue your seduction, then?” he asked in a whisper as he wrenched down her bodice, freeing her breasts from the layers of fabric beneath.
“Mmm, perhaps.”
“Let me help.” Then he teased her nipples into tight, aching peaks with his fingers and mouth until she squirmed on his lap with a cry of both surrender and encouragement.
“You bring out the best—or the worst—in me, Inspector.” Mary could hardly think enough to form words, so she gave up talking.
Instead, she moved up and down his shaft, slowly to savor the exquisite feeling of him filling her, hitting every sensitive point she possessed, both familiar and new, and still, she couldn’t have enough.
“I rather doubt that.” He paused with a hand at the side of her neck. Running the pad of his thumb along her bottom lip, he continued, “I was at my worst this week, and I apologize. You have my word that won’t happen again.”
“Emotions are like genies in bottles at times, and they can put us into trouble more quickly than we realize. It happens to the best of us.”
“Right.” With care, he brushed his lips over hers. “Unless you wish for this coupling to be over far too quickly, leave off. I, for one, want to savor this.”
Before she could reply, he tumbled her to the coach’s bench, breaking their intimate connection, but then he eased his body over hers and settled between her bent knees.
The weight of him was pleasant and comforting, nearly made her sob from relief of having him back in her arms, but she conquered the feelings.
With one hand cradling the back of her head, he eased the other beneath her twisted skirting.
Trembles played down her spine and danced through her lower belly. “Gabriel, I need you.” She held her breath as he glided his fingers between her thighs and strummed then along her sensitive flesh. When he slipped two fingers into her channel, she gasped. “Oh!”
“Haven’t I always taken care of you?” He gently pumped his fingers into her body, and each time he did so, he worried the swollen nubbin at her center with his thumb.
“You have, and I… Oh yes, just there.” Heated pleasure slammed into her, and she shook from it. Knowing what she wanted from him, she pressed a hand to his, guiding him, telling him where she needed him.
“I rather believe you are far more special and rarer than the shooting stars we saw tonight.”
“Always so charming.” Though warmth at his praise filled her chest, she couldn’t dwell on it, for she was soon lost to the magic of his fingers.
When she bumped her hips against his hand, throbbing pressure coiled tight in her lower belly.
With the insistent pass of his fingers, she shattered.
As she bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming, she curled one hand into his lapel while the other clenched on top of his.
“Gabriel!” She arched her back and let the wave take her.
Her husband withdrew his hand as he settled his body between her thighs.
“I’m going to require more of your begging later tonight, Mrs. Bright,” he said in a teasing whisper before he kissed her lips.
While contractions continued to flutter in her core, he fit the head of his shaft to her opening, and with a powerful flex of his hips, he buried himself deep, so very deep, irrevocably joining them.
As they should always be.
“Mmm, so good.” Her moan blended with his, and they were once again one entity.
“Though you are mine, and I have the tendency to grow jealous when I fear someone will take you away from me, you are a remarkable woman, Mary. Never let anyone or anything tell you differently.”
“Oh…” If it were possible, she lost another piece of her heart to him.
Then he claimed her lips in a hungry kiss and moved with forceful yet languid strokes that she felt all the way to her soul.
It was exquisite, that slow, deliberate coupling, where each long thrust brought shuddering sensation through every nerve ending.
It was much different than how they’d last come together.
Mary matched his rhythm; this dance they’d perfected many months ago while holding him close with her arms looped about his shoulders and back.
“I love you.” Gabriel paused, still joined tightly with her, to peer into her face. Though it was difficult in the darkness, she knew what was reflected in his eyes. “Thank you for not leaving me when you had every right this week.” Remarkably, there were tears in his eyes.
“I’m not one to give up when times are tough. We both had issues to work out, and so we did, and we’ll continue to do so.” She clung to him, urged him down more snugly over her body because she needed to feel that sense of protection, that safety, needed to feel him against every part of her.
“So I’m learning. Always learning with you.” He shifted positions, and the new angle hit her passage differently. Raw need shivered through her, furthering quickening her response.
Then the rhythm changed as urgency made itself known. Through it all, he held her gaze while his glittered in the gloom. Desire and pleasure reflected in those dark depths, along with a steadfast love that stole her breath.
As their bodies heaved, their souls entwined, just like they had always done since the early days when they’d first met. And even now, she was lost to the wonder of belonging to someone who held the missing pieces of her, who knew how to give, take, or retreat depending on what she needed.
Seconds later, Mary broke, shattered, fractured, disappeared into a vortex of swirling white light that vaulted her through endless joy that could only be found with this man.
When she would have cried out in ecstasy, he kissed her, took the sound as a part of him, and he thrust into her quivering channel again and again and again until he found his own bliss.
The soft utterance of her name in the deep rumble of his voice sent her over that edge once more, and she surrendered, tumbling, pinwheeling with him.
Fell in love with him once more in this ever-changing life they led.
His shaft pulsed and jumped; warmth filled her core. Then he collapsed on top of her, his weight solid and oh so comforting. “You, my darling, were made to be loved,” he whispered against the shell of her ear.
“Only by you,” she whispered back as she floated back to consciousness.
“Obviously.” A tired chuckle escaped him. “Next time we do this, I’m going to have patience enough to see you naked so I can explore every inch of your body. I don’t care if half the house party knows what we’re getting up to.”
“Such gammon, Bright.” Tears of happiness welled. She sobbed, caught up in emotions so great she pressed her face into the crook of his neck to muffle the sound.
Immediately concerned, he lifted his head. “Did I hurt you? Cause some sort of offense?”
“No, I’m merely overcome with emotions again, but this time they’re happy ones.” She lifted a hand to caress the side of his face. “It has been a horrid past few days. I feared that we…” Confused, she kissed the strong column of his neck. “Where do we go from here?”
“The possibilities are endless, love, but I do look forward to attending Kourier’s nuptials in Brighton.
Our family needs the time for further bonding.
” He edged off her body. Immediately, she missed that intimate, soul-binding connection.
Pleasant lethargy weighted her limbs, which made her sink into a soft, cotton cloud of exhaustion.
“However, now, we should probably join the ball. I wouldn’t put it past Francis to send out a search party.
He’s forever pestering me to be more present in society. ”
“This is no doubt true, and good advice, for it might assist in gaining more clients.”
“Come.” After he stuffed his flagging length into his evening breeches, he did up the buttons of his frontfalls and put his clothing back to rights. Seconds later, he left their impromptu love nest and reached a hand in for her.
Mary maneuvered around the folded steps and let him lift her down the rest of the way. “I must look a fright.” Though she didn’t wish to waste the sated exhaustion by joining the ball, she did want to dance with him.
“Never.” With gentle hands, he tugged up her bodice, and while she made certain her breasts were encased in the cloth as they should be, he smoothed his fingers over her hopelessly crushed and wrinkled gown, arranged her skirting properly about her legs.
“To me, you will forever remain the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
” Then he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“You spoil me, I think.” With a grin, she found his hand. “And I adore it.”
“Good, for you should expect even more of that. I won’t take you for granted again.” His fingers were entwined with hers. “To be fair, you might need to remind me.”
“Only if you do the same for me.” Thank goodness they’d both learned lessons from this house party.
Twenty minutes later, they came into the ballroom from the terrace, for Mary wanted to retrieve her floral bouquet.
“Oh, no,” she whispered to him as they strolled the perimeter of the room. “We left our gloves in the traveling coach.”
“No time to go back to fetch them, and look, Francis is nearly upon us.” Then the viscount was there, and Gabriel shook hands with his brother. “It seems as though your ball is a rousing success, Stanwick.”