Chapter Thirty-One
Lisbeth walked into one of the smaller exhibit rooms, where a gaggle of young ladies were perusing the artifacts on display. She’d only come in to review the inventory. They kept glancing her way and whispering.
Eventually, she said, “Are you enjoying the exhibit?”
The girls grinned, and one asked, “Are you Thomas Easton’s wife?”
Unease filled her, but she refused to let it consume her. “Yes, I am.”
They all giggled, and one of the ladies said, “You are so lucky.”
The one woman who appeared older frowned. “Lady Chloe, that is inappropriate.”
The young woman sulked. “Georgina, we are only having fun.”
Lisbeth couldn’t fathom that a young woman like this could be a danger. Perhaps the fall was truly an accident, and the letters were nothing but dramatic words from a young girl.
The woman, closer to her age, said, “I’m sorry. They are all enthralled with Mr. Easton’s serials.”
One of the girls giggled and said, “We visited your home and convinced your husband to sign our serials.”
Lisbeth smiled at the girl’s flushed cheeks.
No, these young women weren’t threats; they were excited about her husband, but not dangerous.
She smiled. “My husband will be giving monthly lectures starting next month. You should attend. There is a small fee, but you can learn about his adventures and antiquities.”
They all squealed, making Lisbeth and their chaperone cringe. They shook their heads at each other. Feeling a little more at ease, Lisbeth added, “He will also be at the reveal of the ending of the epic that will be shown in our grand exhibition room.”
Lady Chloe turned to her chaperone. “We must go.”
The slightly older woman said, “We shall.”
Liseth smiled at them all. “I need to depart, but I hope to see you at the event for the epic in a few days.”
They all nodded excitedly, except for the lady, Georgina, who Lisbeth suspected had the duty of escorting them about—poor woman.
What they didn’t know was that the famous Thomas Easton was actually upstairs waiting on her with the rest of the board members of the Historical Society of Female Curators.
If she were an awful wife, she would have ushered him down to talk with all his adoring admirers, but Thomas had been on edge about anything related to his fame since her fall.
In some ways, Lisbeth wished she hadn’t told him her suspicions about falling at the Sinclair ball. The more time that passed, the more she wondered if she imagined hands on her back.
She entered the office to find Rose, Esme, and Thomas peering at documents, while Diana, Sarah, and Addie sat at their desks.
Thomas looked up at her, his eyes roamed hungrily over her. Her body hummed, and she flushed as the desire in her flared. He’d only just left her bed hours ago, but her need for him never seemed to subside. His lips tilted up at the corner as if he could read all the wicked thoughts in her mind.
The last few days, even with the fall, had been wonderful. Lisbeth felt as if they were finding their way. They were becoming a family—her, Thomas, Alice, and Jeremy.
She grinned at him. “Some of your admirers are downstairs.”
He frowned, and she sighed. “They are just some young women hoping to catch a glimpse of you. Don’t fret.”
Addie smiled. “I’m so excited, Easton, that you will be presenting lectures here.”
Thomas reluctantly turned away from Lisbeth and said, “I think it is the perfect way to spend my spare time. Lisbeth and I are building an estate just outside the city that will keep me mostly occupied. These lectures will fill the rest of my time.”
Rose nodded. “You will be a great fit.”
Addie giggled loudly. “I bet the London Society of Antiquaries is green with envy.”
Thomas smiled. “They’ve asked me more than once to partner with them.”
“You had no interest?” Sarah Martin asked. “They are a very prestigious organization.”
Thomas glanced at Lisbeth. “They said I would have to ask my wife to step down from your board.”
All the women gasped, and Lisbeth frowned. “You didn’t tell me that.”
He shrugged. “I never planned to join them.”
“I would be furious if you did,” Rose replied.
He laughed. “I know.”
Addie said, “Are we ready to go for the event to reveal the end of the epic?”
Both Rose and Lisbeth nodded. Rose explained, “Lisbeth will explain how they found the last two tablets and then introduce me. I will reveal the rest of the story.”
Thomas asked, “Is it necessary that Lisbeth present?”
The room went quiet. They all stared at him, shocked. Thomas flushed. “I have concerns that one of my admirers may harm Lisbeth.”
Annoyance flared in her that Thomas had brought this up to the board members. The ladies all stared at Lisbeth, and Addie asked, “Do you have the same concern?”
She frowned at him before turning back to the ladies. “I suppose it is a possibility, but I would still like to present. It is important.”
Thomas scowled, displeased. Lisbeth turned to him. “Thomas, when I said I was leaving London before the exhibit previously, you told me not to give up something I care so much about. You can’t ask me to do it now.”
“It wasn’t dangerous then,” he bit out.
“It is important to me that I stay and contribute,” Lisbeth reiterated.
The ladies studied her, but each of them eventually nodded in agreement. Rose said, “We are with you, Lisbeth.”
She was grateful to have these ladies in her life. Lisbeth beamed. Thomas sighed. “As you wish, but we need to ensure there are plenty of guards.”
She smiled at him, not wanting to argue, knowing he was simply worried because he loved her.
*
Thomas knocked on Lisbeth’s bedchamber door. It was late, but he had to see her. She said, “Enter.”
He stepped into the space, his eyes roaming over her. She was only dressed in a thin nightgown. His body started to hum. Desire pounded through him. He’d removed his jacket and cravat before visiting her.
She tilted her head and studied him. “I thought you were upset with me.”
When Thomas left Seely House, he’d been angry and frustrated, but eventually, he’d calmed down. Ultimately, it was Lisbeth’s choice, and he would support her. He shrugged and sat, removing his shoes. “I don’t like your decision, but I moved on. Did you think I left to go sulk?”
Lisbeth flushed. He suspected that was precisely what she thought, and truthfully, he had for a moment. After that, he went about his day, which was busy but productive. He raised a brow. “Perhaps you thought I was off partying it up with my admirers, bemoaning my wife.”
She gave him a pointed look. Thomas walked to her, grasping her by the shoulders. “I left to speak with Devons to see if the investigators had found anything. Then I met with some colleagues I’ve been writing to off and on for several years.”
“I did think you were angry.”
Thomas shrugged. “I was, but I quickly moved on. I told you how I felt, and you disagreed. I’m still concerned, but that is it.”
“I’m sorry I jumped to the conclusion that you were off sulking.”
He smirked at her. “It’s because I behaved like an ass previously.”
Thomas grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers one by one.
She shivered from his light touch. He smiled wolfishly at her.
“You and I are stuck together, Lizzie. Over the next thirty years, we are going to fight, laugh, cry, and I hope to spend countless hours in bed together. Every fight can’t be the end of the world. ”
Lisbeth grasped his shirt. “How many hours exactly?”
“I mean, I’m delighted with at least half the day.”
She grinned. “Half the day. I won’t be able to walk.”
Thomas would be fine with that. He brushed his lips across hers. “Good, then I can have you in bed the whole day. It is my mad scheme.”
Lisbeth became lost in thought and frowned.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Will you miss exploring and being at the excavation sites?”
The question was out of nowhere. “Why?”
“Life is fairly predictable here.”
He wasn’t sure he agreed. Thomas’s brows shot up. “Really?”
She blushed. “Usually.”
Thomas wrapped his arm around her waist and was quiet for a moment.
He would never regret the last ten years of his life.
It had made him a wealthy man, but only one thing had driven him to be as ambitious and so successful.
“You have to know, Lizzie, that everything I ever did was to impress you, to prove that I was worthy.”
She kissed him hard as if to take away any pain he might be feeling. “You always were.”
“My point is that you and I both loved antiquities as children, but it was you who pushed us out to explore the world. I stayed working with antiquities because it reminded me of you.”
Her eyes watered. “Thomas, don’t say that. You must have hated me.”
He pulled Lisbeth to his chest but didn’t lie to her. “Some days I did, but I also appreciated that you’d given me a new life path. For our future, I don’t care where I live. It can be London, Syria, or somewhere else as long as you, Alice, and Jeremy are there.”
She looked up at him, warmth spreading across her body. “Make love to me.”
Thomas groaned and walked them backward until the back of Lisbeth’s legs bumped the bed. “I’m here to do your bidding.”
They stared at each other, and desire thrummed through him. This woman was his wife. She’d be in his arms until they grew old. She smiled at him impishly. “Take my clothes off.”
Enticed and amused by her demand, he leaned forward and kissed her neck. He softly said, “I like you ordering me about.”
His hand grasped her gown and slowly slid it up. Once it reached her shoulders, he tugged it over her head and tossed it behind him. She giggled. He wanted to see what else she desired. “What now?”
She sat and scooted up on the bed, motioning to her most feminine area. “I want you here.”
Thomas also wanted to be there, but he stayed where he was.
Folding his arms across his large chest, he stared down at her hungrily.
Her blonde hair fell around her naked form, and his cock twitched when she bit her pouty lower lip.
Thomas suspected that shyness was taking hold of her.
He didn’t want that. His voice thick with desire, he gruffly asked, “There are so many ways I could be between your lovely thighs. Tell me exactly how.”
Lisbeth widened her legs. “I want your mouth between my thighs. Make me moan with your tongue.”
Thomas rubbed at his cock in his trousers. “Christ, that mouth of yours may destroy me.”
His temptress smirked. “I want you naked, too.”
He quickly disposed of his clothes and stood by the edge of the bed.
Lisbeth was scooted a little further up.
He stroked his cock as he looked down at her.
She was lightly rubbing her little sensitive nub as her hips rocked.
“I could watch you touch yourself every day. Do you like doing that, my love? What do you think about?”
A puff of air escaped her along with a moan. Lisbeth’s eyes connected with his. “You.”
The hunger in him raged at her words. He grasped her hips and pulled her down closer to him.
Thomas didn’t let go of her but held her tighter as his head dipped down to feast upon her.
He lapped at her most feminine area as she bucked against his mouth.
Her fingers found his hair as she moaned, “Thomas.”
He teased her sensitive nub until her hip movements became frantic. She was so close. He licked and suckled as Lisbeth bucked against his mouth. Her body arched, and she let out a strangled sob. Lisbeth’s body shuddered as she collapsed against the bedding.
She took deep breaths, and Thomas’s eyes immediately went to her breasts. He reached down and ran a thumb over the tip of one. “You are beautiful, Lizzie.”
“You always say that.”
His hand moved from her breast to her belly, his fingers swirling over her skin. “I love you.”
“I love you. Come here. I want you in me,” she said, pulling him closer to her by crooking her leg behind his. He stepped forward so his thighs were pressed against the bed. It was the perfect height for him to pull her down and bury himself in her. Thomas grasped her hips and did just that.
Being inside her was a sweet perfection that would never get old.
He slid out of her and thrust back in. She gasped, but desire sparked in her eyes.
Thomas enjoyed this view of her. She was lying across the bed as he stood between her legs.
His Lisbeth was a vision. She whimpered as his hand grasped her hips, holding her in place as he pounded into her over and over again.
The walls of her quim clenched around his cock, and he tilted his head back, groaning.
His tempo picked up. This woman was his, and the thought heightened his desire even more.
She whimpered, and his eyes flew open to see her face flushed.
She was on the verge of climaxing again.
He released her hips and played with her clit, making her buck frantically every time his shaft plunged into her.
She felt so good. He was so close. Their eyes connected, and Lisbeth whispered, “I want you to finish in me.”
His blood pounded, and he drove into her harder. He nodded. “Climax again.”
Lisbeth stroked her sensitive nub again, not slowing down with his thrust. She let out a loud whimper as the heightened ache within her shattered. Thomas thrust into her one more time deeply and stayed there, spending. The feeling almost made his knees buckle.
Eventually, he leaned down and placed his forehead on hers. “You are mine forever now.”
She smiled at him and stroked his jaw. “I was always yours, Serious Thomas.”
He laughed at his nickname and withdrew from her. Thomas joined her on the bed. Lisbeth cuddled into him. “I’m glad you are my husband.”
“Me too,” he said, kissing the top of her head.
They lay there for a few minutes, and Lisbeth said, “I want to tell the children about the estate you are building tomorrow.”
He rolled her so they were facing each other. “Are you sure?”
Lisbeth nodded. “I want us to start planning our lives together.”
Thomas kissed her. “Me too.”