Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
It was time to go to the church. Marion and Lauren were helpful in getting Lilli ready for the most trepidatiously exciting day of her life, thus far.
Her wedding. It was to happen at nine, for Oliver wanted to finish it before Lilli became too apprehensive.
Too late, she thought. Lauren pulled an envelope from her skirt pocket and handed it to Lilli.
“What’s this?”
“From your grandmother to be delivered on your wedding day.”
Tears ran down Lilli’s face as the women left her alone to read.
My Dearest Lilliana,
Today is the day that you take your chosen husband and live a wonderful life.
I’m sorry I have missed this day, but I shall be watching from heaven along with your grandmother and mother.
There are three generations walking you into your husband, my dear.
Know we love you very much. If this is the man you have chosen, and I am sure you would not take him otherwise, he will be strong and able to stand up to your stubbornness and yet tender when you are in need of understanding.
Remember us all to your children and enjoy your life. You deserve all the happiness.
Love,
Gran
The tears flowed freely and Lilli worried she wouldn’t stop but Lauren and Marion returned. “The time for sad tears is over, my dear. Let’s get you ready to meet your duke.”
Lauren gave the letter to his valet. “Deliver this to Your Grace immediately. It is of vital importance.”
Alarmed, the valet nodded and walked into the duke’s room. “Your Grace, this was delivered for you as urgent.”
“What?” Oliver took the note and realized the handwriting was from a woman who now felt like an old friend.
Oliver,
I hope I may call you that now that you are marrying my granddaughter.
You are the one I chose for her that very day you walked into my home and declared you were honoring your father’s obligation towards Lilliana.
And when she overreacted to you every time you were in her presence, I knew it was the right choice.
Take care of my darling. Her life has been difficult.
I know you will listen to her when appropriate and take over when it is right.
Love her, protect her and be the man her father never was for her.
You have all my blessings for this day. Do well. Three generations will be watching on.
Lady Elizabeth St. Matthews (Gran)
Oliver’s vision blurred for a moment. He spoke quietly into the empty room. “I will take very good care of Lilliana, and she will want for nothing, my good Lady Elizabeth. I will spend my days loving, protecting, disciplining, supporting and possessing her in every way. She will be very happy.”
He wiped at his eyes and called his valet. “It’s time to get to the chapel.”
The day had been long but now it was time to consummate her marriage and she was back to being anxious.
Oliver had been so solicitous, and the breakfast was a larger gathering than the wedding but not much larger.
Her new mother-in-law, Georgiana, had promised a ball in a few months to introduce them to society but until then, it would be learning to be Oliver’s wife and he learning to be her husband.
But tonight, would be the coming together they had yet to do.
Oliver had brought her to such ecstasy with his fingers that still brought a blush to her cheeks, but this was to be so much more.
She was in her nightgown waiting for her husband.
The door opened and in walked Oliver, magnificent in his dressing gown, the silk fabric clinging to his broad shoulders.
Her heart beat faster as she took in the expanse of his olive complexion and a few dark chest hair revealed by the parted fabric.
Lilli’s breath caught in her throat as he approached with that purposeful stride she had come to both fear and crave.
His eyes, dark with desire, raked over her nightgown-clad form.
“My beautiful, defiant, perfect bride,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers dancing across her skin. “Are you nervous, little one?”
“No,” Lilli lied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Oliver’s lips quirked into that knowing half-smile. “Rule number one, remember? No lying to Daddy.” He closed the distance between them, his movements deliberate, controlled, his large hand cupping her cheek. “Your pulse is racing. I can feel it here.”
His thumb brushed the delicate skin beneath her jaw as his lips glazed hers. He took her trembling hands in his, bringing them to his lips. “There’s no need for nerves between us, darling. Not tonight.”
Lilli felt her cheeks flush with heat. The thin silk of her nightgown suddenly seemed an inadequate protection against his hungry gaze. She clutched at the bedsheet, drawing it slightly higher.
Heat bloomed in her cheeks. “Perhaps a little nervous. You know that I have only felt this excitement with you, but I am sure there is more than only my gratification. I have been told of some of it, but more.” She shrugged her shoulders.
Oliver’s expression softened as he sat beside her on the bed, the mattress dipping beneath his weight.
“I know, my love. And I will cherish being yours as I make you mine.” He traced his fingertips along her collarbone, sending a cascade of shivers down her spine.
The heat of his body so close to hers made her heart race even faster.
“We have all night, and I intend to go slowly.”
The tenderness in his voice made her heart swell.
This powerful man who commanded respect wherever he went was looking at her as though she were the most precious thing in his world.
His fingers traced the curve of her cheek, sending a cascade of shivers down her spine.
The heat of his body so close to her made her heart race faster.
“Will it hurt?” she whispered, unable to keep the question from escaping.
“There may be some discomfort,” he admitted, his thumb tracing her lower lip. “But I promise to make it as pleasurable as possible.”
“Thank you.”
“May I?” he asked, fingers hovering near the ribbon that secured her nightgown.
Lilli nodded, not trusting her voice. His fingers brushed against her collarbone as he slowly untied the ribbon, each touch deliberate, reverent.
The silk parted, revealing the curve of her breasts to the cool night air.
She resisted the urge to cover herself, instead watching his face as his eyes darkened with desire.
“So beautiful,” he murmured, tracing a finger along her shoulder, down to the well of her breast. Her skin pebbled under his touch, a flush of warmth spreading throughout her body despite the chill.
Her breath stuttered. “I have dreamt of this,” Oliver whispered, his voice husky with desire.
“Of unwrapping you like the precious gift you are.” His fingers traced along her jaw.
He kissed her shoulder. “You are perfection, Lilliana.” His fingers walked up her neck.
“My little Lilli,” he whispered, his voice husky with need. “My darling duchess.”
He leaned forward, replacing his fingers with his lips, trailing kisses along her shoulder, the hollow of her throat, the curve of her neck. Each touch sent sparks of pleasure cascading through her body, building a heat low in her belly that made her tremble.
His hands slipped beneath the fabric of her nightgown, caressing the soft skin of her waist. With gentle pressure, he guided her back against the pillows, his body following hers. The weight of him above her made Lilli’s breath catch, not with fear but with anticipation.
“Tell me if anything is too much,” Oliver murmured against her skin, his breath hot against her neck. “Tonight is about pleasure, not pain.”
Lilli gasped at the sensation, her head falling back to give him better access.
His mouth moved lower, tracing the path his fingers had taken, his breath hot against her skin. When his lips closed around her nipple, a jolt of pleasure shot through her core, making her arch against him.
“Oliver!” she gasped, her fingers threading through his hair.
He looked up at her, eyes dark with desire. “I would love if you called me Daddy tonight.”
“D-Daddy,” she whispered, the word sending a thrill through her that she couldn’t explain. Intimate and yet forbidden.
His hands moved with deliberate slowness, pushing the fabric higher until it bunched around her waist. Lilli felt the cool air against her exposed skin, a delicious contrast to the heat of Oliver’s touch.
Her thighs trembled as his fingers traced patterns along her legs, each caress moving higher, teasing her with the promise of more intimate touches.
“So perfect for Daddy,” he murmured against her breast, his tongue circling her nipple before drawing it into his mouth again.
The words sent a shiver of forbidden pleasure through her body. She arched against him, seeking more of the exquisite sensation.
Oliver’s hand finally reached the apex of her thighs, his fingers brushing against her most intimate place. She gasped at the contact, her hips jerking involuntarily.
“That’s it, my darling,” he encouraged, his voice a low rumble against her skin. “Let go for Daddy.”
Lilli’s body trembled as Oliver’s fingers found that sensitive place he had first helped her discover, circling with just enough pressure to make her gasp. The sensation was familiar now. He had brought her to this precipice before with his skilled touch but tonight promised so much more.
“Oliver,” she breathed, her hips rising to meet his hand. “Daddy.” The ache between her thighs had become almost unbearable. Her need took over.
Oliver’s mouth claimed hers again, swallowing her gasps as his fingers continued their torturous exploration.
His tongue mimicked the movements of his hand, creating a harmony of sensation that had her clutching at his shoulders.
She was gasping for breath, and he held her to him as his touch continued forcing her to burst into a kaleidoscope of brilliance.
“Daddy,” she gasped as she relaxed again.
“Yes, my love?” His mouth traveled up her neck, his teeth grazing her earlobe in a way that made her shudder as she felt herself become aware of her surroundings again.
“I want... I need... more.” The words wouldn’t come, but her body spoke for her, arching against his hand.
Oliver chuckled, the sound vibrating through her. “I know exactly what you need. I need it too.” He shifted, removing his dressing gown with one fluid motion. “You need me to join with you.”
“Please make me yours.”
The intensity of his gaze made her feel both vulnerable and cherished as he positioned himself above her, settling between her trembling thighs.
His powerful body, now fully revealed to her, was everything she had imagined in her most secret thoughts—broad shoulders tapering to narrow hips, skin like sun-warmed bronze stretched over hard muscle. Lilli’s breath caught in her throat.
The heat of him pressed against her entrance, not yet breaching, but promising what was to come. His eyes were so tender and yet, almost violent with his need.
“I’ll go slowly,” he promised, lowering his head to press a kiss to her forehead. “Breathe for me, Lilli.”
She nodded, her hands finding purchase on his broad shoulders, feeling the muscles flex beneath her fingertips. She took a deep breath as instructed, filling her lungs with the scent of him, sandalwood, leather, and something uniquely Oliver.
He entered her with exquisite care, pushing forward just enough for her body to adjust to the intrusion. He paused when she tensed beneath him, his breath coming in controlled pants against her neck.
“Breathe through it, love,” he murmured, his voice strained with the unfamiliar effort of holding himself back. “The discomfort will pass.”
Lilli nodded, focusing on the steady rhythm of his heart beneath her palm. There was a burning stretch as her body accommodated his size, but beneath it stirred something else—a building pleasure that promised to eclipse the momentary sharpness of the pain of his penetration.
Oliver kissed her deeply as he pushed forward another inch, swallowing her gasp. His hands cradled her face as he rested his weight on his forearms, as though she were made of the finest porcelain. His thumbs brushed away tears she hadn’t realized had fallen.
“You are doing well. It’s time to finish this, baby.”
Lilli forced herself to relax, to trust him as he pushed deeper, filling her in a way she had never imagined possible. The discomfort mingled with a strange fullness that now hovered on the edge of pleasure.
And then she felt what he had promised her.
Once again, the buildup of the mountain of decadence that she felt just before the sensation overtook her senses.
His movements became less controlled, more frantic.
The wonder and realization of the delightful decadence washed over her body and deluged her mind with pleasure.
She vaguely acknowledged his shout of completion.
Sleep descended quickly, but sleep was often disrupted by her insatiable husband.
“You will need to soak several times today, my love, for I am sure you will feel the effects of our lovemaking.”
“I feel it now, but it was worth it.”
“It was, indeed, my darling duchess. It was indeed.”
“I love you, Oliver, the Duke of Weston, my husband, my Daddy.”
“I love you Lilliana, my perfect darling. My little duchess. Forever.”
The End