Chapter 31
Chapter thirty-one
Eric’s new family gathered around him in the fight manager’s office, showering him with compliments and adulation.
“Damn good fight, Stone.” Alexander clapped him on the back. “Unfortunately, you are going to be bruised and swollen for your wedding.”
Wincing, Eric peered down at Juliet. “Sorry,” he mouthed.
Her eyes filled with affection, she gently swiped a damp handkerchief beneath his nose, cleaning away blood.
It meant the world to him that she’d been there. He’d never taken such a beating, so hopefully, the violence had not traumatized her. There had been moments when he wasn’t sure if he was going to win. Ned was a formidable opponent, and his right hook was deadly.
Emily tugged on Alexander’s shoulder until his cheek was at her level, and then she whispered in his ear.
Grinning, Alexander straightened. “Stone, why don’t you and Juliet take my carriage, and Emily and I will ride with Father?”
Chesterhill’s brow furrowed. “That does not make sense, Son. Eric is staying with me, and you two are staying with the Coldpeppers. Juliet should ride with you, and Eric should ride with me.”
Chesterhill was correct. Additionally, her father insisted that Juliet have a chaperone when she was with him.
Rolling his eyes, Alexander nudged Chesterhill out of the office. “Good God, Father, how daft can you be?” Eric heard him say right before the door closed.
Emily kissed Juliet on her flushed cheek. “I’ll tell Mother and Father you rode with us. Just be home before midnight. Use the servant’s entrance and avoid everyone. You can thank me later.” Emily linked arms with Juliet and guided her out of the office.
“I’ll be right behind you,” Eric called to them.
He quickly changed into a dry shirt, small clothes, and trousers. He tossed his sweaty clothing and winnings into his bag, slid into his coat, stockings, and boots, and then took the back stairwell to the alley, where two carriages waited.
After calling goodnight to the rest of their party, Eric helped Juliet into their carriage and settled his battered body onto the squabs across from her. Although the vehicle was too dark for him to see the details of her face, he could distinguish her silhouette and sense her intense gaze on him.
“You were wonderful,” she said, her voice so soft, it feathered over him. “Do you hurt?”
Every inch of his body. “I’ll survive,” he said with a chuckle.
“’Twas thoughtful of Emily and Alexander to give us time alone together.”
“Very,” he agreed.
After weeks of tortured longing, they were finally alone. God help him. However, he was much too tired and sweaty to do anything about it.
She crossed the carriage to sit beside him. His body instantly reacted to her nearness. Apparently, he wasn’t as exhausted as he thought because his heartbeat sped up and he had to spread his legs wide to make room for his growing arousal.
“I have been thinking about the book,” she said.
“What in particular are you thinking about?” His husky voice betrayed his curious libido.
“Shall I show you?” she asked, her voice a sensual taunt in the dark.
“I’d like that.” What an understatement. But howling like a randy wolf seemed a bit overkill.
She leaned close, pressing her torso to his. Her breath fluttered over his cheek, and then her lips brushed his as delicately as diaphanous butterfly wings. Before he had time to respond to her kiss or take her into his arms, she dropped to her knees.
His heart thudding, he tried to imagine what image in the book had inspired her to kneel on the carriage floorboards.
She grasped the waistband of his trousers and tugged.
Since she seemed to want him half-naked, he lifted his hips and assisted her.
Both his trousers and his small clothes pooled around his ankles.
She trailed her hands up and down his thighs, kneading his tired muscles.
Every time she came close to his erection, the damned thing twitched.
He wasn’t expecting anything more than caresses, so when her tongue touches his shaft, he hissed in a breath.
He’d never had a woman place her mouth on his cock, and more than anything, he wanted Juliet to draw him deep.
As she swiped at his length with long, luxurious licks, a fire lit in his stomach, sending molten blood to his cock.
“Does it feel good?” she asked.
His “yes” rumbled.
She playfully flicked her tongue along his length before pulling back to ask, “Am I doing it correctly?”
“Yes!” Not that he was an expert on cock sucking, but it felt perfect to him. “You can add your hands, if you would like to.” Hopefully, he wasn’t being too demanding. “And you can also suck.”
Fisting him with one of her soft, feminine palms, she gently squeezed while simultaneously swirling her tongue around his head.
“You are so good at this,” he assured her, hoping she never stopped. He was sure she was smiling as she wrapped her lips around his girth and sucked him deep. Ensconced in warm, wet heat, he moaned. “Darling, that feels so good.”
Using her tongue and her fingers, she slid him out of her mouth. His heady desire mixed with a thud of disappointment, leaving him helpless and quivering.
“You taste quite delicious,” she said.
Probably not as sweet as her cunny, but he’d graciously accept the compliment.
She hummed appreciatively. “Salty, masculine, and…”
He suspected she was licking her lips.
“You taste like victory,” she added.
Fuck, yes. Slap a crown on his head because he felt like the king of the world.
Her warm breath blew across his thighs, then tickled the head of his cock.
Thankfully, her respite was only so that she could compliment him because she immediately sucked him into her mouth.
As her hand and mouth worked in sync, he removed her hairpins, then played in her decadent, silky strands.
Closing his eyes, he melted into the squabs while succumbing to the sheer bliss of her mouth fucking his cock.
Meanwhile, the carriage rolled along, lulling him into a euphoric, dream-like state.
She squeezed his balls, throwing him into a frenzy. He rocked his hips against her face. As the pressure within him built, a tickling sensation consumed his bollocks and then shot up his spine.
“Sunshine, I’m going to come,” he said between his guttural sounds of pleasure.
She sucked so hard, his cock hit the back of her throat.
As much as he wanted to come inside her inviting mouth, she was still relatively innocent, and he doubted she was prepared to swallow his seed.
“Darling.” He couldn’t hold out much longer, so he gently tried to separate her face from his lap. She ignored him, digging the fingernails of one hand into his thigh as her other hand gripped his cock.
He’d tried to warn her. At this point, there was nothing left to do but give in to the thrumming sensation consuming him.
He’d grown so hard that his pelvic muscles contracted. His body tensed to the point of delicious pain. As his back arched and his toes curled, Eric exploded with euphoric rhythmic pulses.
Juliet substituted her hands for her mouth, her magical touch coaxing the last of his spend from him.
Wanting to hold on to the ecstasy, Eric took his time steadying his breath and settling into his body. Overcome with sentiment, he conjured the last of his strength to lift her from the floor and settle her onto his lap.
“Thank you,” he murmured into her hair as he kissed the top of her head. “I needed that, and in case I haven’t told you today, I love you so very much.”
“You have told me, but I never tire of hearing it.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you. More than anything.”
The carriage rolled to a stop, meaning that their time alone had come to an end. Juliet didn’t move from his lap, and he was too damn content and relaxed to insist that she leave, or to fret about her parents discovering them together.
Eventually, she sighed and pulled away. “I suppose I should go. Enjoy your evening at Lord Chesterhill’s townhouse. I hear ’tis quite lovely.”
There was a light knock on the door, and Juliet leaped from his lap. He pulled his trousers and small clothes into place and tried to look innocent. The door opened, and Chesterhill’s footman looked in at them.
“Are you ready, Miss?” he asked.
She sighed. “I suppose so.” She took the footman’s hand as he assisted her from the carriage. Peering over her shoulder, she smiled at Eric.
He smiled back, giving her a silly finger wave.
Thereupon, they both giggled as if sharing filthy little secrets.
Which, of course, they were, so why not revel in joy?
And the very best part was that in less than forty-eight hours, they could curl up in their new bed, in their new house, without interference, because this dazzling woman would be his wife.