Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"E-Edward, are we really —"
Phoebe nearly tripped as she followed her husband closely, nervous as she thought about thought about what his intentions were, shivering as she recalled the way he had whispered in her ear.
The forward nature of his words, how bluntly he had spoken to her both unnerved and excited her greatly.
She didn’t not understand why there was a strange heat welling up within her, nor did she know how to quell it, but still, she followed him closely, telling herself it was likely not what she assumed it to be.
Surely he isn't really going to do anything untoward here. Not with all these people present in a house that wasn't theirs —
"Ah, perfect," Edward exclaimed as he opened a door that led to what appeared to be drawing room and tugged her into it.
Phoebe had hardly gathered her bearings when she heard the lock of the door click and her back was pressed against a wall, the surprise knocking the air out of her lungs.
“Edward,” she breathed, staring up at him as she tried to ignore the way her knees grew weak under his dark gaze.
He had easily complimented her, even as her scar itched beneath the attention of onlookers who still couldn’t fathom how they had ended up together, but she was also enthralled by how handsome he was.
His features were so sharp, softened by how mischievous his eyes were, and his charm had made her feel as though her insides were being tossed around the air.
“I still cannot fathom how fortunate I was — to have been able to have you all to myself. To have been the first to taste you, touch you… I do not jest or speak lightly when I tell you how utterly gorgeous you are,” he muttered, gently caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers, just below her scar.
His touch trailed lower and lower, down to the curve of her jaw, the slope of her neck, until his fingertips grazed along the neckline of the dress, barely touching her breasts.
Phoebe discovered shockingly that she wanted him to touch her more, wanted him to put an end to this game and simply take what he desired.
She yearned for him to do so.
It must have been written on her face, because Edward chuckled darkly, his thumb rising up to press against her lips.
“I thought you would be more reluctant to engage in this sort of thing,” he claimed with a smirk as his hands settled on her hips and drew her flush against him.
“I am,” Phoebe her cheeks aflame as she felt her husband undo the knots of her dress, his nimble fingers making quick work of the buttons that held the fabric closed beneath the straps. “But I hardly think that I could dissuade you if you are intent on having your way.”
“Oh, but you could try, if you wished. At least give yourself a chance to convince me,” he mumbled, mouthing along the column of her neck.
Phoebe could feel her thoughts fading rapidly as his hands tugged her dress off her body, the expensive fabric hitting the floor in a pitiful heap. His touch felt scorching against her skin, setting her nerves alight as he proceeded to rid her of her corset next.
His focus switched from his frustrations about her clothed states to her breasts once they were free and he wasted no time grabbing handfuls of them, gently squeezing as his teeth lightly sank into the juncture of her neck and shoulder.
Phoebe was now completely pressed to the wall, trying to find purchase as she squirmed with the pleasure building steadily within her.
She rested her hands on his shoulders, hoping to gain some leverage and balance — both of which she lost rapidly when his lips wrapped around a nipple and the other was at the mercy of his fingers which twisted and pinched them teasingly.
“Edward,” she panted breathlessly, suddenly feeling immensely frustrated with the fact that he still wasn’t touching her in the place she desired it the most. “H-Hurry. Please.”
Now that they had gone through their first night, there was hardly any nervous tension in Phoebe’s body and mind anymore. Just unadulterated need that she was desperate to have sated.
“All right, duchess. Anything you want,” Edward whispered as he pulled down her chemise.
Phoebe stepped out of it unsteadily and he guided her to a settee in front of the fireplace, which was the only source of light in the room.
She thought he would make her bend over or lay in it somehow, but he settled down in it first. Then he looked up at her, his lips pulled in a smirk as he gestured at his spread legs.
“Come, duchess.”
Phoebe inhaled sharply, still confused but immensely aroused by his voice. She shuffled closer and slipped her hand into his when he reached for her, squealing when he tugged her forward, until she was seated in his lap, their chests pressed together.
“W-What—”
“Like this,” he muttered with one hand slipping over her hip and down her back to grope her buttocks, while the other went between her legs, two fingers rubbing at her entrance. “I want to have you like this.”
Her eyes widened and she shook her head nervously. “H-How – I do not think I can –”
“Do not worry, darling,” he murmured over her skin as he mouthed along her jaw. “I’ll show you just what I need you to do.”
Phoebe let his hands guide her gently, her nerves practically a mess by the time she was facing him, their chests pressed together. Her legs were on either side of him, as she sat in his lap, the strange lack of discomfort from her seated position making her feel even more uneasy.
“Keep your eyes on me, at all times darling,” Edward whispered to her as he began to let his hands roam again.
The lack of purpose to this exercise certainly made things much different for some reason, but Phoebe was too distracted to discover exactly why that was.
He was caressing her gently one moment, his fingers grabbing at her breasts and buttocks in a firm, feeling grip the next and she could scarcely breathe when he inserted a finger into her.
“O-Oh,” she gasped, straightening her spine as his finger explored the warmth past her folds.
Edward grinned as he pulled his finger out and pressed two back in, clearly relishing her sharp intake of breath. She tried to glare at him, but it was hard to feign annoyance or anger when her face was so hot, the weight of her desire and embarrassment written all over it.
She was still scared that they would be caught and she dreaded to think of what people would say –
“You are thinking too much,” Edward said as he kissed her cheek, right over her scar. “I will not let anything happen to you, duchess. You must trust that I have no intention of getting you into any sort of trouble.”
“Your a-actions reflect… quite differently from your words,” she whined as his fingers continued to deep into her, stroking up a delicious flame within her.
It felt… really good. The sensations she was left with were remarkable and she could practically taste the unravelling waves of pleasure that was about to descend upon her.
But somehow, she felt as though something was missing. Edward was touching her earnestly, his lips still leaving kisses on her skin, and yet, she could not help but want more.
As though he could sense her desire, he chuckled and playfully bit her earlobe before he spoke,
“You clearly need more than this. Shall I give it to you? That thing you desire?”
The implications of his words sent another wave of embarrassment through her, but she could not pretend she did not notice the growing bulge of in his breeches.
“You should be more honest, Phoebe. About the things you want,” he told her as he took his fingers out of her to undo the opening of his breeches.
“You are deserving of much more than you allow yourself to have and that is not fair. A woman such as yourself should not have to stifle her urges or wants. Certainly not with me.”
Edward guided her onto her knees, kissing her breasts softly as his member pressed against her entrance.
“This might be overwhelming at first, but it will not be as tasking as it was the first time. Trust me, Phoebe. I will take care of you,” he promised tilting his head back to look up at her.
Phoebe stared down at him, nodding slowly as she felt him gradually slip into her. It was moments later that she understood what he meant.
This posture was much different from the first they had shared together. Like this, he was reaching farther than she imagined he could and she felt so full and breathless, as though she had her head underwater.
“Breathe, darling,” Edward cooed, reaching up to stroke her cheek, running his thumb along the line of her scar.
Phoebe inhaled sharply and whimpered, legs shaking beneath her as she tried to grow accustomed to his girth and length, somewhat aware that she was still not comfortable with any of it.
Her husband, to his credit, stayed patient with her, just as he had the first time, waiting silently as her body took its time to recover its strength.
It did so sooner than she expected, and the flames of desire were ignited as she gave her hips a slight roll as a means of trial. Her nerves were instantly aflame with arousal.
She wanted more, needed him to do something so she could feel as good as she knew she was on the verge of. Edward, who she had learned could read her thought with a mere glance, held onto her hips and lifted her up slightly, moments later pulling her back down onto his member.
Phoebe gasped, a part of her utterly thrilled to feel the sensations she had been after in full force, barely managing to press her finger tips over her lips in time to silence herself.
He kept his hold on her, but alternated between lifting her off and bringing her back down, and simply thrusting up into her.
She had grabbed hold of his shoulders in search of some balance, but that only provided her with some leverage to move better on top of him.
“I wish you could see yourself through my eyes,” he said softly, reaching up to caress her cheek again, an action that was causing an unsettling stir in her heart every time he did it. “You look so beautiful… and you are doing so well, taking me like this. Well done, duchess.”
The compliment was rather unexpected – or at least that is what Phoebe told herself when his words unleashed a strange sensation in her that caused her walls to tighten around him.
Edward winced slightly, but his lips pulled into an impressed smirk, as though he had just discovered something about her that he had no intention of sharing.
His arms wrapped around her and he began to thrust faster into her, barely giving her any time to catch her breath.
After a particularly rough thrust, Phoebe crumbled in his arms, her body shaking with ecstasy as his seed filled her.
Edward held her close for a minute, their hearts beating so rapidly, Phoebe was sure he could feel hers as much as she could feel his.
“Excellent,” he muttered, pressing a kiss to the juncture of her neck before he lifted her off of him and set her gently by his side.
Phoebe felt overly conscious of her nakedness, but could not find the strength to rise to her feet – a concern that seemed unnecessary because once Edward had made himself presentable once more, he went back to the door where he had discarded her clothes and retrieved each article of clothing.
When he returned to her, he held a hand out and told her gently,
“Let us get you dressed, so we can return home and you can rest properly.”
“Home?” Phoebe wondered out loud. “We’re leaving now? Why?”
She did want to leave, her body feeling far too heavy to carry on with the unnecessary appearances for the evening, but she had no intention of complaining. And she did not expect that Edward would have wanted them to leave either – seeing as it was his idea for them to attend as well.
He helped her to her feet carefully and began to dress her as he replied,
“It is for the best that we return home for now. There will be other events that we can attending at a later date. Do not worry, my friends would not mind our early departure.”
Phoebe had no reason to complain, so she did not, focusing on simply getting her clothes on properly.
It was no easy feat, as she kept getting distracted by how his hands wandered over her in a bid to achieve that same goal.
She glanced up at him at some point and noticed he had been staring at her, specifically her lips and a strange feeling settled in her gut.
“Are you ready?” he questioned seconds later, acting as if nothing had happened.
Phoebe nodded and he led her by the hand out of the room. Like before, Edward led them through the hallways as though he had lived in that house his whole life, moving discreetly and avoiding any with people standing or conversing.
Sooner than she expected, they were in their carriage that had begun its return to their estate and Phoebe could not help but wonder what tonight meant to him.
Had that been another attempt to fulfil his filial duty or perhaps something else? Could that even be the case?
She shook her head and snuck a glance at him, struck, not for the first time, by how handsome he looked. The idea of their complicated marriage arrangements surfaced in her mind but she refused to dwell on it, instead focusing on the lingering warmth of their unexpected tryst.