Chapter 16 #2
“I suppose I should be glad you didn’t throw it at my head and knock me out again.” Max sorted through the books and took one at random. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Allegra snatched back her reticule and took out her embroidery, and they spent the next two hours of their journey pretending the other didn’t exist.
Allegra looked down at her embroidery and realized she’d have to unpick every stitch she’d set. She put her work away and sighed.
If she were being honest, she did enjoy Max’s company.
Even during the worst hours of their Suffolk adventure, she’d come to rely on his strength and good humor to get her through some truly dangerous situations.
Did she really want to be left in Somerset while he enjoyed the delights of London on his own?
And then there was how he made her feel in bed.
… Having tasted the delights of his lovemaking, how was she going to survive without him continuing to provide them to her?
Max was right. They did have to find a way to make their marriage work. The alternatives were unthinkable. The Devereux family would never agree to a divorce, and such a scandalous undertaking would undo all the good the alliance provided for the Musgroves.
But why couldn’t Max see that she wanted the best for him?
She was offering him his old life back and yet he seemed insulted by the very idea.
Did he really think that she should write a list of his duties?
And why did she always feel as if she were on the defensive when she was making all the sacrifices for him?
She glanced across at him, but he appeared engrossed in his book. She took out her journal and a drawing pencil. If he wanted a list, perhaps she should prepare one for him, but where to start?
She turned to a clean page in her journal and started to write. Bedding is necessary to produce an heir if one is desired. Regular trips to London for the social Season to maintain the appearance of our relationship. Allegra tapped her lips with the pencil. What else?
Monthly meetings to go over our accounts, household bills, staffing, and other financial commitments.
Goodness, it was hard. … Allegra sighed and considered her meager list. There had to be more, but she couldn’t think of anything right now. She carefully tore the page out of her journal and read it again. It certainly wasn’t ready to show Max yet.
“I just had a thought,” Allegra said into the silence. Max didn’t look up, but she continued anyway. “Perhaps you should also write a list of the things you require of me, and then we can compare our findings and come to a mutual conclusion.”
“I’m not the one treating our marriage like a commercial arrangement,” Max said. “But if you insist.”
“Thank you.”
He set down his book and looked out of the window. “We’re approaching our first stop to change the horses. You’ll have plenty of time for refreshments if you require them.”
“Thank you,” she said again.
This became the pattern they followed for the rest of the day.
They made regular stops to change the horses, eat somewhat passable food, and then returned to the carriage to exist in relative peace.
Allegra had never become accustomed to silence.
In her household, getting everyone to stop talking long enough to hear someone else’s opinion was extremely hard.
Not speaking to Max was harder than she’d thought.
As the sky began to darken around them, she risked clearing her throat, but he didn’t look up. “Are we near Reading yet?”
He held up a finger and kept reading, which was slightly annoying. When he’d finished at least two more pages, he finally looked up. “I do apologize. Emilia is trapped in a tower, and she’s just set fire to the bed curtains, and the dastardly Count Malvino is approaching.”
“I thought you didn’t approve of such novels,” Allegra said. “You said they made women fanciful.”
“Did I? Well, I was wrong. This one is thrilling.” He laid the book flat down on the seat beside him and gave her his full attention. “What was your question?”
Allegra pointed at the book. “Please don’t do that.”
“What?”
“You’ll break the spine. Use the ribbon to mark your place.”
With a sigh, Max did as she asked.
“I merely inquired as to when we will reach Reading,” Allegra said.
Max consulted his watch. “Within the next half an hour, if we’re on schedule. We’re staying at the Crown. It’s the inn my father always uses.”
“I’m sure it will be excellent, then.” Allegra couldn’t deny she’d be glad to get out of the carriage. Despite their frequent stops, she was both stiff and weary.
Max proved to be correct, and soon they were escorted into the inn by the landlord with all the pomp due to a marquess. Their room was at the back of the house, away from the noise of the road and the stable yard, and contained a large carved bed and a roaring fire.
“I’ll have the maid bring you up some hot water, my lady.” The landlord bowed low to Allegra. “And if you prefer to dine up here, you are more than welcome to.”
“Thank you,” Allegra said.
Max gave the man a coin, and he left the room. Allegra undid the ribbons of her bonnet, untied her cloak, and set them on the chair.
“I think we should have our dinner up here, and then we can take a stroll into the town,” Max said as he stretched out his arms and yawned. “Will that suit you, my lady?”
“Yes, that’s fine.” Allegra went to look out of the window. “There appear to be a multitude of coaching inns here.”
“Yes, it’s the first major stop outside London if you are heading west,” Max said as he joined her. “But my father assured me that this was the best place to stay. I doubt we’ll be murdered here.”
There was a knock on the door, and a young maid appeared with a jug of steaming water.
“Thank you.” Allegra smiled as the maid set the jug beside the basin and towel.
“Will you tell the landlord that we will eat up here as soon the kitchen is able to accommodate us?” Max asked the maid.
“Yes, my lord,” she said before leaving.
Max held the door open and looked over at Allegra. “I’ll just go and check the horses.”
She waved him away and returned to her contemplation of the streets of Reading.
The thought of sitting down wasn’t appealing, but she was also rather stiff.
A walk after dinner would definitely help.
She washed her hands and face and felt a little better.
All she had to do was get through the next twenty-four hours and she’d arrive at her new home, which would give her plenty to focus on apart from Max.
As expected, the dinner was excellent, and Max was in a charming mood that relaxed her and made her feel more hopeful for the future. They enjoyed a stroll around Reading and then retired to their room again. Max stayed by the door.
“I’ll let you get settled before I come up,” Max said. “Do you want me to call a maid or can I help you with your laces?”
Allegra immediately presented him with her back.
He came to stand behind her, his breath warm against her neck, his hands steady as he unlaced her gown and loosened her stays.
She’d forgotten how much his presence aroused her and fought a very unladylike desire to lean back and rub herself against his muscled frame like a cat.
“Stop it,” he murmured against her skin. “You’re making me hard.”
Allegra immediately stepped away from him, her color high. “I’m fairly certain that any woman standing in such close proximity would have that effect on you.”
“Then you’d be wrong.” He wasn’t smiling. “It’s damned inconvenient.”
With that, he left, and after completing her ablutions, she climbed into the large bed. The feather mattress was quite soft and inexorably moved her toward the middle. She fell instantly asleep and only woke up when a naked Max rolled right into her from the other side of the bed.
She could feel the heat from his body and instinctively curled against him. His hands came around her waist, one went up to caress her breasts, and the other down between her legs. She was still cross with him, but she was tired, and he was her husband, and dammit, she wanted him.
He didn’t bother to remove her nightgown, he just rucked it up around her waist and entered her from behind, his thick cock pushing upward into her willing flesh as his fingers worked their magic on her rapidly swelling bud.
She arched back and he bit her neck, pushing himself deeper with every thrust until she came for him in hard, pulsing waves.
He growled his appreciation and increased his pace, his hands anchoring her against him even as his fingers worked to make her climax again.
She gasped as it hit, and with a last thrust, he joined her, and they came together.
She expected him to move away, but he stayed where he was, cradling her body within the shelter of his own. She’d never felt so safe before.
Later that night he woke her, stripped off her nightgown, and slid between her thighs again.
She was wet from him and welcomed him, her hands on his shoulders as he slowly fucked her in the darkness.
She couldn’t see his face but she knew him, knew how he smelled, how he sounded when he came, and hated that any other woman would know him in the same way.
“What’s wrong?” he whispered. “You’re all tense again.”
“Nothing,” she said as she slowly dug her nails into his flesh. “Please don’t stop.”
Max woke in the morning with one hand on his hard, sticky cock and the other between his wife’s legs, which made him think of better things than simply getting out of bed. He rolled Allegra onto her back, and her gaze slowly traveled from his face down to his cock.
“Not again,” she said.
He pretended to look hurt as he hooked her knee over his elbow and leaned over her. “I’ll be quick.”
She sighed, but she didn’t tell him to stop, which he took as a positive. He eased his cock inside her, and she caught her breath.
“Are you sore?” Max asked.
“A little.”