Chapter 19 #4
Pops had seen her, truly seen her, but he had not understood the restrictions placed upon her by society, Mama had loved her and worried for her, but had wished for her to be a good girl and fit in.
Papa had ignored her, viewing her as an expense or a commodity, depending on his mood.
But Leo, he saw all of her, the good and the bad, the messy and unreasonable along with all the prettier, nicer bits.
He wanted her just as she was, with no pretence, and that was a gift beyond anything she had ever expected.
His big hands moved over her, warm and strong, as she explored him in turn and the edges of herself blurred under his touch as she hardly knew where his skin ended and hers began.
She arched beneath him, sinuous as a cat, voluptuous and lost in sensation as he loved her, drawing pleasure from her in waves that washed away everything but his touch.
His lips moved to her cheek, brushing gently down her throat.
How strange and wondrous it was, this joining of his body to hers.
Though she had long ago understood the mechanics of the thing, the intimacy of it was far beyond anything she had been prepared for.
She slid her hands over his bare back, enthralled by the power of his muscles shifting beneath her palms, by the silken warmth of his skin.
With a soft laugh, she tipped her head back; she felt giddy and intoxicated, drunk on him, by the musky scent of him filling her mind, the scent of a man—her man.
He thrust deeper, lifting her hips just so, and she sucked in a breath and he moaned, the sound rumbling through his chest to hers, thrilling her.
The sensation of power it gave her over this splendid male, was intriguing, no less so than his power over her.
The way he made her feel, the way he seemed to know her body more intimately than she did and could make it sing for him, it was all new and strange and marvellous.
She had caught the rhythm of the thing now, and moved with him, all instinct, as though the knowledge had always been there, and he’d simply reminded her that this was how it was—with him. This was how it had always been since time began and would be forevermore.
How gentle he was, moving slowly, touching her with a reverence that made her want to cling to him and never let go. But he challenged her too, daring her, teasing her, demanding she meet him as he moved a little faster, as he slid a little deeper.
Angel had never been shy, never been a coward, and so she held his gaze as he thrust harder and faster.
The world, which had been just the two of them, narrowed further, shrinking and shrinking, becoming darker and hotter until it focused upon the place where they joined.
Too overwhelmed, Angel closed her eyes, moving through the darkness with him at a breakneck speed, racing on and on towards oblivion, or so it felt.
She wanted to shout, to sink her fingers into her hair and call out his name for the sheer joy of it, and he seemed to understand, for he covered her mouth with his, swallowing the scream she might have made as he tipped her over the edge.
Angel clutched at him as the tiny world they had made together seemed to blow apart, to burst inside her, pleasure flooding through her, wave upon wave.
She heard the harsh sound he made, his mouth now buried in her hair, his big body shaking as he too blew apart in the aftermath.
In a distant part of her mind she wondered at it, at the way her body had driven his to such helpless shuddering, but it was hazy as everything went away and she drifted in a happy, peaceful place, where there was not a thing to do, not a thing to worry about, and everything was exquisitely perfect.
Rather dazed, she stared up at the ceiling, too overwhelmed to speak. She could hear nothing but his breathing, hot and ragged, close to her ear. His skin was damp now, blazing hot, and she smiled, a wicked, pleased smile that curved over her mouth and seemed to say everything she had no words for.
“Well,” he said, his deep voice a delicious rumble against her bare breasts. “That wasn’t bad for a first go.”
Angel met his eyes and dissolved. She saw the devil dancing there, in those beautiful hazel eyes, and she laughed and laughed, gazing up at him, so pleased with himself, so dreadfully smug.
“N-Not bad,” she agreed, and then went off into whoops again.
He chuckled too, but moved his hand, covering her mouth. “Hush, pet. We’re supposed to be quiet, remember?”
With considerable effort, Angel got herself under control again.
“Mm-hm,” she replied, nodding.
Cautiously, he took his hand away and she let out an unsteady breath.
“Are you all right, love?”
“No,” she replied lazily. “I’m wonderful. Perfectly perfect.”
“That you are, Angel,” he agreed with a sleepy sigh. “That you are.”
Angel sighed, snuggling closer to the large body that was nigh on crushing her, though not unpleasantly, and closed her eyes again. How delightful the future looked suddenly. In a few days they would be married, and they would never need to sneak about to be together again.
“How is Toby?” she asked suddenly, wondering how the lad was faring in his new apprenticeship.
“Excellent,” Leo replied, though the words were drowsy and slurred. “The head groom says he’s a quick lad and is doing wonderfully well.”
“I’m so glad,” Angel smiled, remembering how excited Toby had been to begin work in the duke’s impressive stables.
Once they were settled, he would come to them, but for now he was getting an excellent education about all things equine.
With the generous portion of Black Jack’s treasure Leo had invested for him, he’d be secure, well able to buy a home for himself and raise a family of his own when the time came.
“And Milly?” he asked, raising his head to stare sleepily down at her.
Angel grinned. “She is swanning about town in her finery, lording it over Miss Twort and her ilk if I know anything, bragging about how she’s lady’s maid to a marchioness, and one day a duchess.”
“I knew she’d not leave you. Didn’t I tell you so?” he said, settling his head back against her breast with a contended sigh.
Angel stroked his thick hair. “So you did. Though she could have lived comfortably enough, with a little cottage of her own and no worries.”
“And no excitement,” Leo pointed out. “Our Milly has a taste for adventure now, my love. She’ll want to come along to see what dreadful thing my beautiful pirate will do next.”
Angel chuckled at ‘our Milly’ and planted a kiss to the top of his head because he was such a darling man. And as for seeing what she would do next—she was rather looking forward to that herself.