Chapter Twenty-Five
Selena glanced back, belatedly realizing they had an audience. And finding she didn’t care overly much. Once again, she had nearly lost her newly wedded husband. But…Lord Goodwin’s words echoed in her mind. Had the curse been broken?
Edward laughed while Mr. Burgess sputtered in confusion. “We shall defile your church no longer, Mr. Burgess, I assure you.” He held his elbow out to Selena again. “Shall we attempt this again?”
She raised a brow but allowed him to carefully lead her down the stairs and into the carriage. Though she kept a careful eye on the horses the entire time. She wasn’t taking any more chances.
The moment she climbed into the carriage and the door shut behind them, Edward hauled her into his lap. “I will make no such promises about defiling our carriage, however.”
“Edward,” she laughed, holding onto him to keep from falling when the carriage took off with a lurch.
He dipped his head to give her a searing kiss that had her arching back against him.
“My love,” she said again, trying to get the question out while she still had the ability to speak. Because if his hands kept wandering the path they were currently taking, she would be incoherent with need very shortly.
“Do you believe we have broken the curse?” she gasped out when his hand delved into the neckline of her dress.
“If there was ever a curse to break, then yes, we must have. You saved me.” He kissed her again, even more thoroughly. “We are married, the birds did their worst, and I am still here.”
“Yes,” she gasped again. “But, what about our wedding night?”
He frowned down at her. “I thought we had allayed your fears about that,” he said. “We have already challenged that one.” His heated lips trailed down her neck again while his fingers worked their magic inside her gown. “I survived.”
“But. Oh!” She pushed back against him, trying to get as close as she could to give as much access as she could. “But we were not married yet.”
His hand froze, and she whimpered in protest.
“Hmm. You are right.” He pressed his lips to her ear. “But we are married now. Let’s find out who is stronger, shall we? Me or this curse.”
He sucked her earlobe into his mouth and gently bit the soft flesh. She gasped and arched into his fingers when he freed a breast from her stays, bringing one arm up to wrap around his neck to draw his head down to hers.
“Should we be doing this here, my lord?” she asked, crushing her lips to his in a searing kiss. His answer was moot already. They were both too far gone to stop now.
His fingers found her nipple and a moan escaped her, his mouth capturing the sound.
“No time like the present,” he managed to say, trailing his lips down her neck.
She sucked in a breath, tilting her head to give him better access. “Agreed.”
Her words cut off on a choked breath when the arm banded about her waist tightened, bringing her backside up against his deliciously hard shaft.
“I think the carriage is slowing,” she murmured, wriggling against him, trying desperately to find the friction she needed.
“Keep driving,” he called out.
She giggled. “Don’t you think it will be a bit obvious what we are doing if our guests see our carriage driving in circles.”
“Hmm, I do not care,” he growled in her ear before nipping gently at her earlobe. She shuddered against him, pressing her hips back in an effort to feel him better through their layers of clothes.
He seemed to have the same idea as he grasped her skirts and started raking them up, his hand dragging along her skin as it was exposed.
“I very nearly dragged you into the vicar’s office the second the ceremony was over,” he said.
She laughed, the sound low and throaty. She opened her mouth to speak again but instead cried out as his fingers found her aching core.
Edward chuckled, his other hand leaving her breast to cover her mouth while he pushed a finger inside her.
“You will give us away, wife. My sweet…” he pushed a second finger inside and she dropped her head back onto his shoulder, bucking against his hand to bring his fingers even deeper, “…beautiful, wife.”
She tried to keep quiet, turning her face into his neck as she rode his hand, every stroke bringing her closer and closer to that crest. She rucked up the rest of her skirts and reached behind her to fumble with his fastenings.
“Edward,” she nearly whimpered, “I need you. Please.”
He growled, her plea snapping his control.
He reached between them to unfasten his breeches, freeing himself from the confines.
She looked over her shoulder, trying to see.
Wanting to touch him. But perched upon his lap as she was with the carriage bumping along the uneven road made it difficult to do much more than feel his hard length slipping between her folds.
And he was done waiting. He gripped her hips and pulled her down, sheathing himself with one thrust. She moaned.
The feel of him stretching her inner walls never ceased to draw her wonder and awe.
It was though if he had been made to fit her perfectly.
Fill her to the brink. Every inch of him caressing every inch of her. She never wanted the feeling to end.
Yes, perhaps they were playing a dangerous game right now. She had saved him from the birds. The stairs. Hopefully the horses. But there was still the wedding night to come.
Unless now, this moment, broke the curse for good. Curse or no, it didn’t matter. She wanted this moment. Needed it. The more he touched her, the more she craved him. It had been bad enough when she’d wanted him from afar. When she had only the fantasies in her mind to dream about.
But then he’d touched her, kissed her, made love to her. And now, she wanted him with an intensity that frightened her. She would never be whole again without him. And it had been far too long since that first moment between them. She couldn’t wait any longer.
His thrusts quickened, his rhythm thrown off now and again from the carriage movements which jostled them about.
Every bump and hole hidden in the road had Selena clutching at his thighs and writhing on him, chasing that high that kept building and building.
When his hand reached around and found that sweet bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs, she ground herself back against him as he thrust up and she went careening over the edge, clenching around him as she orgasmed.
His hand wrapped around her throat, and he pulled her back against him so his mouth could capture her cries.
His mouth ravished hers as he thrust into her again, and again, before finally reaching his own release.
He held her close, his lips and tongue still plundering hers while he held onto her, riding the combined waves of their climaxes.
Her head dropped back against his shoulder as they panted, both trying to drag in a breath through tortured lungs.
“Can we ask the driver to take another turn around the block?” Selena asked with a shaky voice.
Edward laughed, and the movement made them both gasp as he was still nestled inside her.
“Our guests will already be waiting. I’m afraid we must go inside.”
She let out a long sigh. “Very well.”
He chuckled. “Is that a bad thing?”
“I don’t know. I’ve grown quite fond of this carriage in the last few minutes.”
Edward barked out a laugh and pressed a kiss to the long column of her neck.
“Come,” he said, pulling his handkerchief out of his pocket. “We must be quick.”
He did his best to clean them both while she hastily righted her skirts and patted her hair back in the place.
They gave each other a quick look over to ensure everything was in place and as it should be, and she slid back onto the seat opposite him just as the carriage pulled to a stop in front of the house.
He opened the door and stepped down first, holding out his hand to help her down. “Well?” he asked, glancing at her with his eyebrows raised. “We have broken the curse have we not?”
She pursed her lips, tilting her head as she regarded him. “Have we?”
“Do you not believe so? After all, we just—”
“Edward,” she hissed, hushing him as they stepped into the hall of Brelsford House. “Someone will hear.”
“Let them,” he said, pulling her into his arms again. “I’ve found I quite enjoy being the scandal of the town.”
She laughed and wrapped her arms about him. “Well, I confess it will be a relief not to be alone in their scrutiny any longer.”
He cupped her face and pressed a heartachingly sweet kiss to her lips. “You will never be alone again, my love. I will always be by your side.”
She raised on her toes to deepen the kiss, her heart so full she had to choke back tears.
“And as for the curse?” he asked again.
“I confess, I am not certain,” she said hesitantly.
“But how is that possible?” Edward asked, eyes wide. “After all, we just—”
“Edward!” she chastised again, lightly slapping his chest.
He laughed and caught her hand, bringing it to his lips. “We just took a wonderful carriage ride,” he said, with a heated half grin that had her quivering with need again. “And here I stand, hale and hearty.”
“Hmm, yes,” she said, leaning back to look him over. “I suppose that could mean the curse is, indeed, broken. Then again…”
“Yes?” he asked, his eyes alight with interest.
“It is only that the last time the curse struck, it was the morning after the wedding. Not the morning of.”
“Ah. Yes. Well then, I suppose there is only one thing to do.”
“Wha—” Her words cut off with a surprised squeal as Edward picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
“My lord, what are you doing? Our guests!”
“Our guests can wait,” he said, hurrying up the steps toward his chambers. “We have a curse to break.”