Chapter Eighteen #2
Stepping back, he deftly untied his cravat, tossing aside the now-crumpled linen without a second glance.
He stripped out of his jacket next, tossing that aside without a care for the expensive velvet.
Underneath, he wore a simple silk waistcoat which he unbuttoned and tossed away without a second thought.
Ursula watched, transfixed, as he undid his linen shirt, tugging it carelessly over his head.
He stood before her bare chested, and she found herself fascinated by the smooth planes of his chest and abdominals, lines of muscle rippling down towards the line of his breeches.
Was his skin warm and smooth to the touch?
It appeared to be so. She took a tentative step towards him, hand outstretched, then paused, glancing up at his face.
Smiling, Graham took her hand and pressed it palm down against his chest.
“Do you feel my heart beating?” he whispered. “It beats for you.”
Ursula sucked in a breath, eyes widening. He pulled her tight against him, kissing her again. During the kiss, her gown slipped from her shoulders and pooled around her ankles. Ursula stepped out of it gracefully.
Graham swept her into his arms, carrying her over to the bed in two steps. Ursula gasped when her back touched the soft mattress, her eyes flying open. Graham knelt over her, bending down to kiss her forehead.
“Trust me,” he whispered.
She smiled up at him, reaching up to touch his face. “I trust you.”
He kissed her again, reaching up to unlace the front of her chemise. Lifting her arms, Ursula let him slide the material away from her skin. Goosebumps broke out after the material was pulled away, and she shivered in the cold room.
Graham sat back on his heels, staring at her with something not unlike reverence.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “Sometimes I cannot believe that you are mine.”
He kissed her again, moving down to kiss the front of her throat, and Ursula tilted back her head and closed her eyes, melting into the sensations. His hands slid down her body, fingers leaving delicate, tingling trails.
Shifting lower, Graham kissed the center of her stomach, resting his cheek against the soft skin and peering up at her.
“I have thought of you every day since I first met you,” he whispered.
Ursula smoothed back his hair from his forehead.
“It pleases me greatly to know that I am always on your mind,” she remarked, her voice heavy with amusement.
He surged up to kiss her again, their lips meeting in an urgent rush. Fingertips danced down her thighs once more, pressing against the join of her thighs. Ursula gave a faint sigh of pleasure, wrapping her arms around his bare shoulders and resting her forehead against his shoulder.
Graham continued his attentions for a moment or two, leading Ursula closer and closer to her peak, and then stopped quite abruptly.
She opened her eyes uncertainly, peering up at him. He was watching her with a heavy, hungry expression, face flushed, hair dishevelled.
“I want more,” Graham answered simply. “But I will go no further if you do not wish it.”
She swallowed, propping herself up on her elbows. “But I do wish it.”
He tilted his head, watching her carefully. “Are you quite certain?”
Ursula nodded. She did not even feel an instant’s hesitation. “I am more than certain.”
He leaned forward to kiss her again, more gently this time. Ursula lay back against the pillows, conscious of a fluttering of nerves in her stomach.
This was what Mama had warned her about. It was clear that Mama expected it to be unpleasant, something to be endured rather than enjoyed, but that didn’t seem right to Ursula. Whenever Graham had touched her before, it had been… it had been…
She swallowed hard, a wave of desire came crashing over her. Part of her had wondered whether the feelings of desire, the aching she felt for Graham would fade away after their first intimate moment, but it had only gotten more intense. Hungrier.
Graham kissed her for a few minutes more, then sat back on his heels again. He undid the buttons on his breeches, and Ursula tilted her head up to watch.
“Will it hurt?” she asked, in a rush.
He paused, meeting her eye. “No. It will feel strange, at first, but it will feel good. That I can promise you, Ursula. If you would like to stop.”
“No,” she said firmly. “I do not wish to stop.”
He pushed into her slowly but surely, a strange sensation which Ursula did indeed require a moment or two to adjust to. She breathed deeply, shifting her hips and struggling to accommodate to the new feeling.
Graham began to move, slowly at first and then picked up more speed.
Ursula found herself gasping for breath, pleasure slowly but surely started building up inside her.
He moved slowly, slower than when his hands had touched her private parts, but this was more intense as he picked up momentum.
His hand glided down and he slid his fingers into her and caressed her intimate part rhythmically.
Her climax rushed upon her in a ragged gasp, and Ursula arched her back, digging her fingers into Graham’s shoulders. He gathered her tight against him, his fingers warm against her skin, and thrust several more times before letting out a guttural growl.
He all but collapsed on top of her, remembering at the last moment to prop himself up on his elbows.
They lay like that for a moment, both gasping for breath, until Graham pushed himself off her, rolling onto the side. Still out of breath, he reached out to take her hand.
“Are you well, Ursula?” he asked anxiously. “You are not hurt?”
She rolled onto her side, giving a wide, elated grin. “Hurt? Not in the slightest. I feel… I feel as though I could fly, truly I do.”
He laughed, leaning over to kiss her. “I had a feeling that you might enjoy it.”
“Well, I can certainly see what Lady Smythe was speaking off.”
“Who is Lady Smythe? And what was she talking about? No, do not tell me, I can guess. Is she a friend of yours?”
“Barely an acquaintance,” Ursula chuckled, shifting to rest her head against Graham’s chest. He wound an arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
“But I overheard one of her conversations once. I am certain you can imagine the subject matter something which is not to be discussed in polite Society, and yet discussed anyway in quiet, dark little corners. Since then, I have always found myself wondering whether what she said was true.”
“And what is the verdict?” Graham enquired, lifting an eyebrow.
Ursula tilted her head back to look up at him, grinning. “She was most accurate; I am more than pleased to say.”