Chapter 13
Edith groaned and dropped her head onto the cushions.
Laurence started to move inside her, slowly at first. Each thrust sent her to new heights of rapture.
He bit her neck lightly as his thrusts deepened, making her shiver from the sensual mix of pleasure and pain. Their skin gleamed with sweat as they came together, each thrust faster than the last.
“Laurence,” she cried, her hand moving to grasp his hair.
“Edith,” he panted.
His hands moved to hold her hips, deepening the angle. She gasped. She had to bite down on her tongue so as not to scream in ecstasy. He groaned, and she was sure she felt him throb inside her.
“I want to hear more,” he moaned.
It sounded like a plea to her ears.
“Then do more,” she replied breathlessly.
He gave her a wicked grin, then gripped her ankles and raised her feet until they rested on his shoulders. Perched on his knees, he nudged the tip of his throbbing member inside her, never going the full length, and she groaned in frustration.
With a cry, she rose, gripped the back of his thighs, and with all of the force she could muster, drove him into her as she moaned with frenzied bliss.
“More, more,” she panted against his skin.
Without slowing his thrusts into her moist, heated cavern, Laurence nibbled and sucked on her pert breasts, each one a rosebud topped with a sensitive, pink nipple, making her arch her back to be nearer to the source of her pleasure.
Liquid fire coursed through her as her arousal mounted. Her mind and body hummed in a state of elation and excitement.
With the tip of his thumb, he found her hard bud and rubbed maddening circles on it.
She let out a choked gasp and dug her nails into his sides. “Laurence, don’t stop!” she begged.
“Never,” he moaned.
He picked up the pace, his thumb rubbing tighter, harder circles as she bucked and writhed, overwhelmed by a mounting elation that threatened to push her into insanity.
White hot pleasure flooded through her, and she screamed as she found her release.
Laurence quickly followed, his pulsing member filling her with his warm seed as he drove himself deep within her, until he too was utterly spent.
They lay panting on the sofa as their breathing slowly returned to normal. Edith’s leg was draped across his hips. Laurence wrapped his arms around her tightly and nuzzled her neck.
“You were incredible, wife,” he murmured.
“So were you. I didn’t know it could be like that,” she breathed.
“Like what?” he asked, pulling back.
She rose and turned her head to look into his sparkling blue eyes. “Intense, intoxicating, all-consuming, like I might get lost in it.”
He smiled at her tenderly and kissed her forehead. “You were perfect,” he murmured against her skin.
She gently reached up to touch his scarred cheek. He froze, an automatic response, but then leaned into her touch.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“For what?” he asked with a chuckle. “I haven’t exactly been a model husband.”
“No, but you gave me this, and you made sure I enjoyed it.”
“Of course, but we should get up now, or the other guests will notice how long we’ve been gone.”
“Indeed.” She giggled.
He helped her to sit up, picked up her petticoat and dress from the floor, and helped her redress.
“Do I look presentable?” she asked with a smirk.
He grimaced. “I chose my words poorly earlier.”
“What did you mean to say?” she asked as she smoothed down her dress.
He winced and kissed her cheek. “Gorgeous, beautiful, ravishing. Almost any word would have been a better fit for your beauty.”
“Well, say what you mean to me from now on.”
“I will try,” he said softly. “Now, come on. We can’t have anyone know that I took my wife in the host’s library.”
He put his hand on her lower back and led her toward the ballroom.
“Your Grace! You’re back!” Tilly cried out as she rushed down the stairs into Edith’s arms.
“Tilly! You should be asleep!”
“Some things never change.” Laurence chuckled.
“Was the ball fun? Did you dance with lots of people? Were there lots of other ladies with pretty dresses?” Tilly rattled off questions like bullets from a chamber.
“Slow down, young lady,” Edith laughed, carrying her back upstairs. “I can only answer one question at a time.”
“But I have so many things I want to ask!”
“Well, first of all, yes, I did have fun, but I only danced with a few people.”
“Was one of them His Grace?” Tilly asked, her eyes wide with excitement.
Edith’s cheeks flushed a deep red. “Yes,” she said as she helped Tilly into bed.
“I knew it!” Tilly giggled and clapped her hands.
“Excuse me?” Edith asked with a raised eyebrow.
“You both looked so happy tonight, I knew you must have danced together!” Tilly gushed.
Edith snorted and covered her mouth. “Something like that,” she said, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
“When am I going to be able to attend a ball like that?” Tilly asked with a pout.
“You could attend one of the smaller balls—”
“I want to watch you both dance!”
From the hallway, Edith heard Laurence laugh and cover it by clearing his throat.
Tilly pouted and folded her arms. “Why are you both laughing?” she mumbled indignantly.
“You’ll understand when you’re older.” Edith smiled. “Come on, it’s time for bed.”
Tilly nodded but held her pout as Edith told her a story. The pout started to fade only when she fell asleep. Edith smiled, tucking her in a little tighter before standing up.
Her body still hummed with delicious aftershocks, and her mind raced with images of what she and Laurence had done. Truly, it was a miracle they hadn’t been caught. She just hoped that Laurence wouldn’t pull away from her again.
Her heart ached at the mere thought.
As soon as she stepped into her chambers, she was swept up into another kiss. Laurence had been waiting for her. As they pulled apart, she looked up at him.
“Laurence?” she asked.
He was smiling warmly at her as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
“What? You thought I was done with you?” He grinned before kissing her again.
She chuckled against his lips as the pair fell into her bed, his hands already working to remove her dress again.
“Do you plan to spend every night in my bed?” Edith asked with a smirk as she crawled under the covers.
“Of course.” Laurence nodded. “Why would I want to be anywhere else?”
Edith laughed and cuddled into him. “You’ll end up spending almost every night in here with me,” she sighed happily.
“Is that a complaint?”
“That I did not say.”
“Good,” he murmured, kissing her cheek.
She smiled to herself. It was hard to believe that this was the same cold man she had married.
“I heard the story you were telling her, by the way,” he said hesitantly. “In truth, I’ve heard a few different passages when you have been putting Tilly to sleep.”
He paused, stroking her arm. She could tell he was looking for the right words to express what was on his mind.
“They’re about you, aren’t they?” he asked, glancing down at her.
Edith felt a blush rising in her cheeks—she’d been caught. Not only had she been caught telling Tilly stories about herself, but Laurence had been listening.
“Yes,” she admitted. “Sometimes I struggle to think of a new prince or princess story. It’s easier to just tell Tilly something I already know.”
“I see. And the story tonight…”
“Yes, that was the first night I lived with my guardians after my parents passed,” she explained.
“I’m relieved they no longer have any control over you, or I would have had to put them in their place.”
“You’re acting all protective again,” she teased.
“I cannot help it when it comes to you. Especially when I understand—” He caught himself.
Edith’s eyes widened. “You… understand? What, exactly?”
“Yes,” he said reluctantly. “My father was… not a good man.”
“I have guessed as much. Your servants all but refuse to talk about him,” Edith said.
“Indeed. He was much more focused on the growth of the duchy than on the welfare of the people. He was also not an ethical man. If there was a way for him to increase his wealth, or his reach, he would find it and take it.”
“I see,” Edith breathed. “So that clause in his will was not a surprise?”
“It shouldn’t have been,” Laurence said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “He knew that with these scars, it would be nearly impossible for me to find a wife. Or he thought so anyway. It was one last way to punish me for not agreeing with his methods on how to manage the duchy.”
“That’s just cruel,” Edith muttered.
Laurence let out a dry, humorless laugh. “Yes, well, cruelty was his method of operating. Even when the fire broke out, he would not grant anyone a moment of kindness or compassion.”
“Fire?” Edith echoed.
She felt him tense again. Her eyes drifted to his scars, and she realized that she might have trodden into dangerous territory.
“You do not need to tell me if you don’t wish to.”
“No. I… I should. Heavens, I haven’t spoken about this in years.
Still, I must. A fire broke out in a village near Alderbourne.
I suppose it was no surprise. There had been no rain, and some of the older farm buildings had straw roofs,” he said softly.
“As soon as I heard, I ran down there. I knew some of the families there had young children. My father, though… he refused to send help.”
“What?” Edith’s eyes widened.
“They were behind on rent. It was a tenant village. According to him, God was purging the unworthy, and he saw no value in coming to their aid.”
Edith put a hand on his chest, trying to calm him.
He took a long, deep breath. “He told me not to go. I disobeyed. I knew I couldn’t do much with just myself and a few servants, but I couldn’t sit there and do nothing as people burned to death.
The flames were so high that there was no hope of anyone being able to put them out with a pail.
I spent that night running in and out of buildings.
I had to pull so many children out of those collapsing cottages.
The old timbers nearly crushed me several times. ” He paused.