Chapter 9 #2
His dreams had been of hot passion and wild intimacy with Tulip, of him taking her on the bed. Against the wall. On his desk.
Their bodies locked together, hearts aflame and nothing held back.
But this was not going to happen tonight when she had never experienced any intimacy. If he came at her like a wild ape, she would scream and hit him over the head with the candlestick.
He propped on his elbows and slowly settled atop her so that she felt the press of his weight against her body but did not feel uncomfortable with it.
She gasped when she felt his arousal against her hip.
“That means I am ready for you,” he said, “but now I need you to be ready for me.”
“How does that happen? What do I need to do?”
“Nothing, it is up to me to get you ready. Close your eyes and enjoy. This night is for you, Tulip. Take in each sensation and let your body respond. It will respond, you needn’t worry that it won’t.”
Because he knew how to touch a woman.
He knew how to make her gasp and pant with pleasure.
He was not lacking in this experience.
Of course, it would be different with Tulip, not only because everything was new to her.
This time, his heart was involved and she mattered to him.
He wanted her to know her importance and feel it in his every caress, his every kiss and every loving stroke.
He would give her his complete commitment, give all of his heart and all of his ardor, and touch her as though this was the last time they would ever be together and meant everything to him.
His first kisses had been soft and gentle, but he now pressed his mouth to hers with a more urgent and possessive heat.
Still tender.
Still cautious.
But he wanted her to know she was his.
He was also hers, and hoped to convey this, too.
He ran his hands over every part of her silken body, caressing her breasts and taking each tip in turn into his mouth, teasing and suckling.
When he felt her responding, he expanded his onslaught, now sliding his hand to the intimate spot between her legs and beginning to stroke her there while still paying attention to her breasts.
She moaned and clutched his shoulders, then tugged on his hair. “Alex!”
“I have you, love. Close your eyes and let your body take over.”
He wanted this night to be memorable for her in the best way.
He moved upward from her breasts to kiss her on the lips, but he continued to stroke her intimately, knowing just how to build the fire within her.
They both tasted of champagne, for it had flowed freely during the wedding breakfast and they had indulged.
She cried his name again, and it sounded soft and loving on her lips.
Alex.
“That’s it, Tulip. Don’t hold back.” He kissed her mouth, her eyes, and then moved lower again to kiss and tease her breasts that were so beautiful to him.
She emitted little purring gasps, soft moans, and wriggled to push herself against his fingers because she did not understand what was happening to her body but was ready for more.
He held her as though she was the most precious thing to him.
“Alex.” She gasped his name again.
“Sweetheart, I’m going to claim you now. All right?”
She nodded and held onto his shoulders as he positioned himself over her, now wishing he had kept a candle burning so that he could see her and understand what she was thinking and feeling at this moment.
He sensed she had her eyes closed, her lips tightly pursed, and was holding her breath because she was uncertain what was to happen next.
But her nod meant that she trusted him.
Trusted him with the unknown.
He felt the moment her barrier broke, and heard her gasp.
He paused.
“No, don’t stop,” she said in a throaty whisper.
He didn’t, but he purposely slowed down to give her time to absorb him and get used to these new sensations.
As his movements became more urgent, she started to open up and respond as he’d hoped…with innocence and mounting arousal.
She hugged him tighter and raised her hips to meet his thrusts.
Sweet heaven.
He wanted to bury himself so deep inside of her.
She was tight.
Blissfully and heavenly tight.
Her head was thrown back and her eyes were closed.
She licked her lips.
And once again raised her hips to fully take him in.
He released an aching groan and no longer held back.
All caution was tossed to the wind as mindless heat and passion overcame them both, and they began to grasp at each other and move together like wild wolves who could not get enough of each other.
Fire roared through him.
He wanted to devour her.
Burn himself into her soul.
He inhaled her hot, sweet lavender scent.
He licked her breasts that were soft as cream.
Blessed saints.
What lovely breasts she had.
Ripe and full.
She brought out his savage hunger.
The air around them grew thick and damp, and the temperature soared around them as he thrust into her with growing urgency.
More fire tore through him, the flames scorching him to his core.
Tulip was moaning and crying out for him, her breaths short and ragged.
She clutched his shoulders again.
Her lush breasts molded to his chest as she drew him closer. “Alex…oh, Alex.”
She was close now.
So close.
She called his name one last time as passion overwhelmed her and she shattered in an all-consuming pleasure that rippled through her like the wild currents after a storm.
They were so wrapped in each other that he felt her every thrum and vibration against his skin that was peeled to hers.
“I have you, sweetheart.” He kissed her on the mouth to quiet her cries, but he mostly kissed her because she was so beautiful and he loved the way she had taken him in and responded to him.
It took all his determination to hold out just that little bit longer because he wanted to let her experience the full measure of her release before he followed with his own.
Since he was already on the brink and had been holding back until this moment, it only took him two thrusts before he experienced his own shattering release and spilled himself into her warmth.
Blessed saints.
The passion poured out of him.
Heart, soul, and body into Tulip, forging this new bond between them.
Would it be unbreakable?
Would she ever grow to hate him?
Not now.
How could she after tonight?
No matter what happens, remember this moment.
He hoped she would always remember this night, and be able to forgive him if he turned into one of those abominable Davenport dukes.
She kissed him as he collapsed atop her, kissed his mouth, his closed eyes, and his jaw.
He opened his eyes and eased off her, grinning in conquest as he said, “Well, that was something nice.”
She laughed. “Yes. Any more surprises in store for me?”
He gave her a light kiss on the nose. “Plenty, but not tonight. We had better sleep now or we’ll never get up in the morning.”
They needed to get an early start and travel as far as they could while the weather cooperated.
It would take about a week to reach the seat of the Davenport dukes.
Thornwycke Hall was an imposing fortress overlooking the Bristol Channel and filled with the ghosts of all the depraved dukes who had come before him.
After taking a breath, he reached out and drew her closer. “How do you feel, Tulip?”
She snuggled against him. “Good. I feel very good indeed.”
He grinned. “Me, too.”
“That was nice, Alex. Shocking, but also marvelous. Of course, you knew this would happen.”
“I hoped it would.” He gave her cheek a light caress. “I thought it might. There’s more, but that’s for us to explore over the next few weeks and months.”
She nodded. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me, too,” he said with a rumbling chuckle.
“It will be odd returning to Somerset as your wife.” She nestled closer as he absently caressed her arm.
“You’ll be great. Everyone will love you.”
She shook her head.
He felt the soft brush of her hair against his chest.
“I felt like a duck out of water when I first arrived in London. Everyone was very kind to me, especially my family, but it was all so overwhelming. Then I made friends here, and I loved being able to walk across the street to see Marigold or dash next door to visit Violet. I’ll miss them very much.
Yet, I don’t think I will ever think of London as my home. That will always be Somerset for me.”
“Things will be different for you there now that you have married me.”
Once more, she nodded against his chest. “I know. My friends will treat me differently because I am your duchess. They’ll try not to, but it will happen anyway. I hope my mother’s family will still look upon me as one of their own.”
“They won’t stop loving you, but do not be surprised if they show you more deference.
This is to be expected. Everyone is going to be more careful in what they say to you and around you.
They’ll think twice when talking about you to others, for you now hold all the power.
Not that I expect your friends or family ever to say nasty things about you. They know you are a good person.”
“I hope so. I try to be.”
“You are, sweetheart. But do not be surprised if others are jealous and seek to undermine you. This is a problem we are bound to face, never knowing whom to trust and watch out for.”
“Does one’s character change all that much over time?”
“No, but how am I to judge a person’s character when I don’t know anyone from Somerset except for you and my idiot cousins? As we speak, they are probably drinking their way through their allowance at some demi-monde salon.”
“It is better than having them sit at home and think up plots against you,” she reminded him.
He grunted. “True.”
Still, this would not address the problems he was bound to face in Somerset. Everyone would be a stranger to him. It was hard to take the measure of a person who had every reason to lie to him and try to impress him.
Alex was quite familiar with the petty nature of people, their jealously guarded aims and desires, since he often came across the worst of them in his investigations.