Epilogue - Derek
One week later.
The door to his chamber snicked shut, and Derek’s attention snapped up from his newspaper.
To Livy. She leaned against the slab of oak, the soft early morning light glowing off her features.
Her golden waves spilled over her shoulders, peeking into her loosely tied ebony silk robe.
Black and gold. Just like the dress she wore at The Devil’s Eye. He wondered if she still had that mask…
“Hullo,” she whispered.
A gentle flutter took up in his chest. “Hullo,” he whispered back, a soft smile spreading over his face.
Her lips tilted up at the corners, barely there but one of the sweetest smiles he’d ever seen.
He could feel that look, the warmth, the affection, deep inside his chest. They both remained still, just staring dumbly at each other with foolish smiles on their faces, she against the door, he in his armchair by the hearth. Besotted idiots, that’s what they were.
He loved it.
He stood and made his way to her at the same moment she pushed off the door. They met in the middle of his chamber, gazes locked.
She lifted her hand and traced the rim of his spectacles. Her lips parted softly, and she let out a shaky breath.
It was too tempting. He dipped down and took a taste of that breathlessness. He hummed against her lips. “Delicious.”
He pulled back, and a little cheeky smile bunched her cheeks. “I just had some shortbread.”
“Oh, trust me, minx, I know. I find I quite enjoy the sweetness of your shortbread lingering on my tongue.”
Her pupils flared, and a light blush painted her cheeks. He bit back a chuckle. “How I’ve corrupted you,” he said softly. “That made you think something wicked, didn’t it?”
“I’m not sure I can be faulted when you manage to smuggle innuendo into everything you say. Heavens, we manage to get…carried away…over mathematics.”
She brushed his hair back. It was a hand-tousled mess at this point.
He had a habit of running his hand through it a bit aggressively when he read the morning paper.
Her hand settled on his cheek, and he subtly leaned into the touch.
He arched a brow and pressed a quick kiss to her palm.
“Everyone knows mathematics is the language of seduction.”
She nodded seriously as she slowly traced a finger over his bare chest. “There are improper integrals after all.”
A chuckle rumbled through his chest, and he leaned forward to press a hard kiss to her forehead.
He slowly inhaled, and more of that warm feeling came over him.
Happiness. Her calming presence, her vanilla scent, her soft voice—they caused everything inside him to settle.
It was the feeling of being exactly where he belonged, everything finally falling into place.
“Don’t you need to start getting ready soon?” he murmured. It was still early, but they did have a wedding to attend this morning.
Their wedding. His heart took off. Probably racing down to the drawing room to stand in wait for the ceremony to begin. Because, bloody fucking hell, he was marrying this magnificent woman today. He swallowed harshly.
She popped a shoulder. “I have to be in the dowager’s dressing chamber in an hour.” She bit her lip, her teeth skating across the plump flesh. Tease.
“Couldn’t wait a few more hours, could you, clever girl?” He was proud of how steady his voice came out despite the storm of emotion that had taken up residence in his chest.
Her smile faded, and her eyes glinted with a heady sincerity. “Any length of time is too long to be without you, Derek.”
His lungs faltered. She was going to kill him with the sweet things she said. It was too much. “Livy,” he whispered hoarsely. “You really need to slow down with these feelings. I’ve heard overexposure to feelings can cause injury. There’s only so much a jaded rogue like me can take.”
Her lips pressed tight against her amusement. “My poor, poor rogue.”
He glared at her. There was so much mocking sympathy in her saucy tone.
The minx’s brows drew together, and those wide blue eyes glimmered with concern. “Where does it hurt?” She slowly dropped to her knees, her black silk robe pooling around her. She slid her hands up his thighs and blinked up at him. “Do you need me to kiss it better?”
Every single muscle in his body went taut, and he cursed. “Trouble, minx. You have been trouble since the day I met you.”
Eyes locked, something impossible to name passed between them. The shared connection of two people perfectly made for each other. She started undoing the buttons of his trousers, gaze never straying. “And I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.”
Hell, he hoped not. He loved her breed of trouble.
His placket fell open, and she loosened his smalls.
Her smile turned coy, and then she pulled both down in a swift movement, his cock springing free.
She trailed one elegant finger down his length, and then softly pushed down on the crown before letting go.
His cock bounced back up, and amusement danced in her large doe-eyes.
She bit her lip against a grin and did it again.
A choked laugh escaped him. “Livy, bloody hell. Are you playing with my cock?”
She shrugged. “It’s springy. It’s fun. And it’s mine, so I think I should get to do what I please with it.”
A groan rumbled through his chest. He had no qualms about that. “All right. Play awa—”
His words cut off as she swallowed the tip and swirled her tongue around it. She sank deeper, her lush lips stretching around him. Her gold frill of lashes fluttered shut, and she moaned around him. Fuck.
She let out a slow breath, her jaw relaxing, then slid further. A strangled sound fled him. Determination glinted up at him, her fingers on his thigh curling and digging into his skin. She sank even deeper. Her nose brushed the dark hair at his groin. Oh God.
He reached forward and traced a finger over those lips. Stretched. So. Fucking. Wide.
She swallowed.
Fuckingfuck.
She slid back up his length and popped off. She gripped his length, and the look she shot him from her knees almost brought him down to his. It was the look of a woman who knew exactly how much power she held. All of it.
She stroked him lazily, that confident smirk curling her lips. She had no idea how mercilessly she was tearing him apart. How seeing her like this had him nearly coming undone. Then she leaned in, his crown disappearing. Into tight. Into heat. Into bliss.
Her tongue curled under him, flicking and gliding on the underside that had his vision dotting over.
A pleasure just as tight as the suction of her mouth, building inside him, threatening to snap.
She teased him with small bursts of suction, popping off to lap at him, lick down his length, press wet hungry kisses back up, just to swallow him down again.
Every way her lips and tongue could touch him, she did.
Like she couldn’t get enough of him. She devoured him.
“Oh, my fucking God,” he rasped. His ballocks were drawn up, moments from exploding. The desire was consuming him, sinking all the way to the marrow of his bones.
Their gazes clashed, and his heart stuttered. Because those eyes said one thing:
Oh, love, you haven’t seen anything yet.
She hollowed her cheeks and sucked. One hand slid to his arse, the other holding him steady at the base. She gave his arse an encouraging squeeze, nodding softly. Giving permission. For him to fuck her mouth. Oh God. He was going to die. Right here. Death by fellatio.
He gave one tentative thrust, and she went pliant. He slid in and out easily.
Slick.
Hot.
Wet.
He picked up speed, fast and shallow movements as he sank between those lips over and over. Christ, what a sight it was. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes, her cheeks flushed, her delicate nostrils flaring as she tried to breathe through it.
Then her hand around his base flexed, bracing herself.
Her other reached for his hand. She brought it to the back of her head, fisted her hand over his.
A demand. A sharp hiss of pleasure burst from him.
That was when his control snapped; all that tightly wound desire couldn’t be contained any longer.
He tangled his hand in those golden curls, tilted her head back and drove into her. She held steady, one hand on his thigh for support, the other at the base to control his depth. So he took what she gladly gave and snapped his hips forward.
She sucked harder.
More friction.
She moaned.
More vibration.
His grip tightened. It had to be painful, but the only thing that shone back at him from that tear-streaked face was lust. The pleasure was rushing at him. It was going to slam into him. Destroy him. This woman was destined to destroy him.
“Fuck. Livy. I’m going to—” He tried to pull back. They hadn’t discussed this part. He wasn’t certain what she was comfortable with.
Her eyes flashed blue fire at him, and she growled—she bloody growled—around his cock.
That was the final push, all he needed to fall over the edge.
He went up in flames, consumed by that blue fire.
Bliss pulsed through him, and that elegant neck rippled with each swallow as he emptied himself down her throat.
His thighs shook, another ripple of pleasure passing through him at the sight of her taking every bit of him like the queen she was.
When his muscles went lax, she slowly pulled off, pressing a last affectionate kiss to his crown.
She sat back on her knees, a cat-got-the-cream smile on her face.
The proud minx.
Now, to return the favor. He scooped her up, and her squeak echoed through the chamber. He tossed her onto his bed and crawled over her. He made quick work of the tie of her robe, humming happily as he revealed nothing but naked Livy beneath. Exactly what he’d been hoping for.
“I think after that performance, love, you deserve a very nice reward.” His hand slid between her thighs, and he groaned into her neck.
Fuck. She was wet and hot and swollen with pent-up desire.
She canted her hips against him, seeking more.
Needing more. His cock down her throat had her dripping.
Had her desperate. This woman had to be heaven.
“I know just the thing,” he whispered into her skin. He sank two fingers into her, and she bucked against him at the same time a beautiful cry of pleasure met his ears. He lifted his head and met her gaze. “I think a thorough fucking would be the perfect prize.”
Her eyes rolled back, and she whimpered softly and oh-so prettily.
He thrust his fingers into her, a hint of what was to come. Her body quaked beneath him, and he knew she was already at the edge. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you, clever girl? Is that what you want?”
Her lust-hazed blue gaze latched onto his. “And how exactly do you plan on doing that?” she asked between pants. She arched a brow and nodded down toward his hips where his flagging cock, only half-hard now, was resting against her thigh.
Chuckling, he dropped his forehead to hers. Somehow the minx found a way to tap into her cheekiness, even as desire threatened to consume her.
“Love,” he murmured, their lips grazing as he spoke. “Give me a minute and I’ll punish you for doubting me. All I need is to see you lose yourself in pleasure, and I’ll be ready. Seeing you come”—he shivered—“there’s nothing that makes me ache more, nothing that gets me harder.”
And he stayed true to his word. He slipped his thumb over her as he sank deep, curling his fingers and massaging that spot deep inside.
Relentless. She flew apart on a soundless scream, head tipping back, neck stretching deliciously.
Her back bowed, breasts thrust up into his chest, her pebbled nipples grazing his skin.
Just like that, pleasure swirled through him, flooded his veins, fierce and unrelenting.
He dragged his iron-hard cock against her leg. He waited until her pleasure-drunk gaze cleared, then tilted her chin, and forced her to meet his gaze. “And would you look at that? I’m ready to fuck my wife.”