Chapter Thirty-Two
Penelope
For an hour, Penelope related the events of the afternoon for the constable’s benefit.
The older man, gruff but kind, gently questioned her as Simon laced the fingers of his uninjured hand with hers.
A stark-white bandage dressed his wound, and Penelope fretted over it as the village’s doctor tended to it.
Not too long after that, Simon sent her upstairs.
She gratefully obeyed, her nerves stretched so thin that she trembled all over as Sally drew a hot bath for her.
Now, hours later, Penelope found herself tossing about with restless energy. She could not settle without Simon beside her. Could not sleep without his arms wrapped tightly around her body.
She flopped over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling as she contemplated what was being said in Willow Hill’s east parlor. Why was the constable still questioning Simon? What was being done with Gregory Grant? Was he on his way to London in chains? Or being held somewhere nearby?
Worry for Simon made her eyes sting with tears. Surely, the constable believed their story and everything they had gone through that afternoon. Would her husband also be imprisoned as the House of Lords conducted a trial? Or would they take her and charge her with assault on Gregory?
Would Simon allow that to happen?
He said he loves me…
Her heart pounded with the memory of that moment by the stream in the midst of the horror.
How terrifying and amazing it was to hear those words fall from Simon’s lips.
And how frightened she was at the realization she would never see him again if Gregory Grant succeeded in ripping them apart.
It was why she disobeyed Simon and attacked Gregory herself.
Although frozen with fear, she knew there was no other option but to act when the opportunity presented itself.
“You saved us both, Penelope,” Simon had whispered as he sat beside her on the divan in the parlor, his hand squeezing hers. “My brave, beautiful, fierce wife.”
Lost in her memories, Penelope did not hear the bedroom door open until it closed behind Simon with a soft snick. Bolting upright in the bed, she stared at her husband as he removed his coat and flung it onto a nearby chair.
“Simon?” Her voice quivered, belying the brave woman he believed her to be.
“Yes, love. It’s all right. I’m here.”
Simon continued stripping his clothing away until all that was left was his bare form and the bandaging around his hand.
The glow of firelight flickered over his body as he slid into the bed.
Without hesitation, he gathered her close, his arms tight around her body like a vise.
But Penelope reveled in it. She clung to him with equal ferocity, refusing to let go as he breathed deep of her scent.
For a long moment, he said nothing, then, heaving out a sigh, he buried his face in the crook of her neck.
“Forgive me, Penelope, for doubting your loyalty,” he said in a strangely muffled voice. “I promised that I would beg for your forgiveness, and I’m begging it of you now. Forgive me, my love. Forgive me.”
Penelope’s eyes burned with unshed tears, her heart swelling with a tumult of emotions that were almost too overwhelming to contain. She steadied her breath and whispered, “There is nothing to forgive, Simon.”
He recoiled slightly, his stormy blue eyes piercing into hers with a desperate intensity.
Penelope was taken aback to see the glistening traces of tears marking his rugged cheeks.
It was a vulnerability she never expected from him.
Everything inside her melted away; this was undeniably real.
It wasn’t a fleeting dream but a profound revelation: This man—this dark, brutal man—truly loved her.
Simon’s gaze held an earnestness that made her pulse quicken.
Reaching out with his uninjured hand, he tangled it gently in the cascade of her hair as if anchoring her to him.
“You don’t understand, Penelope,” he murmured in a voice thick with emotion.
“I’ve committed many sins as a rakehell, reveling in the pleasures of bachelorhood and the debauchery that came with it.
But I ignored the greatest treasure that stood before me.
My greatest sin was failing to recognize just how invaluable you are to me.
I should have told you every day of your worth, told you again and again how deeply I cherished you.
My sin is that I prioritized my own selfish desires over your importance in my life.
” His words wrapped around her like a warm embrace.
“You mean everything to me, little mouse. And if I were to lose you, it would be the end of me. I love you more than life itself.”
Penelope choked back scalding hot tears, her fingertips delicately tracing the familiar planes of Simon’s face, memorizing every nuance—the gentle curve of his lips, the strong, stone-like line of his jaw that had always fascinated her.
“I love you, Simon. I’ve loved you for so very long,” she whispered, her voice trembling with raw emotion.
With a soft, tentative brush, she pressed her mouth against his, sweetly teasing, her heart fluttering with a mingling of hope and fear. “Will you remind me that I am yours?”
His broad shoulders shuddered visibly under the weight of her words, as if her confession had struck him to his core.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Penelope,” he replied, his voice low and gravelly, filled with concern.
“After the trauma you experienced this afternoon, I would do anything to shield you from more pain… I’d rather cut off my own arm than see you hurt. ”
“I need you, Simon,” she said quietly. “You. Only you can help me erase the terror of what happened today. Help me replace that dark memory with something beautiful. Make love to me now, here in our bed, and tomorrow, we shall return to that spot by the stream. You will lay me down in the soft grass and take what you desire, knowing that I want it, too. You will do this for me. For us.”
“Are you certain?” Simon’s embrace tightened around her, his arms encasing her like protective bands of steel. “Oh, God, Penelope…are you sure you want this? Are you absolutely certain you still want me after everything?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” A smile flickered across Penelope’s face, a mixture of hope and playful mischief. “Must I restrain you to get what I want, husband? I’ve been told I am very good at tying knots…”
“Jesus, woman,” Simon breathed, his voice cracking under the weight of his longing and the temptation of her words. All resistance washed away in a silent rush. “I will give you anything you desire. Anything you want—it’s yours.”
“I do not want anything. I want everything. All of you.” Her smile wavered, a hint of doubt lingering within. Deep down, she still feared rejection. Steeling herself, she tilted her chin. “You, Simon. Your heart. Your love. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. Just you.”
In one fluid motion, Penelope drew back, her heart racing as she lifted her nightgown over her head and tossed it aside.
The cool air danced across her skin, heightening her senses as she swiftly returned to Simon, pressing her bare breasts against his warm, chiseled chest. A delicious shiver coursed through her, awakening every nerve in her body with a rush of anticipation.
He captured her mouth with a slow, lingering kiss, their lips melding together, tongues tangling as they explored the depths of their desire.
Before Penelope fully grasped what he was doing, Simon gently shifted her until she reclined against the soft pillows. His powerful, muscular form enveloped her, a protective weight that both thrilled and comforted her as their kisses deepened with urgency.
“Your hand…” she murmured in warning.
“Is none of your concern, mouse,” he replied, trailing kisses down her neck until he reached her breasts.
Using his tongue and teeth, he teased each aching nipple until Penelope was panting for more.
Drawing one tip into the heat of his mouth, he suckled the tender flesh as he settled between her thighs.
His cock was a solid length of fire-sparked iron where it touched her skin.
She moaned, wanting him inside her with a desperation she’d never experienced.
“I’m not so injured that I cannot properly make love to you.
” His bandaged hand came up, fingers tenderly wrapping about her throat and holding there while with the other, he braced his weight on the mattress beside her head to keep from crushing her.
A soft, rueful laugh escaped him. “Despite my best intentions, properly does not equal patiently. I cannot wait a moment longer to claim you. Let me inside you, wife. Open for me. Love me as I love you…with every fiber of my soul and being.”
He slid inside her without warning, and Penelope cried out in wonder as her body stretched around him.
It did not matter that he had not spent time preparing her.
She was wet for him, embarrassingly so. Simon groaned at the feel of her, and the blood in Penelope’s veins sang in delight as he slowly withdrew and thrust harder, sheathing himself inside her.
Tears stung Penelope’s eyes. They fit so well together, their bodies surging as though there was no end to one or beginning to the other. A perfect union of body and soul and heart.
“You are so tight, Penelope. Like a vise squeezing my heart until every breath I take depends on you allowing it. I cannot get enough…it will never be enough.”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Penelope returned his fiery kisses and gasped as she hurtled toward an orgasm so powerful and so beautiful, it stole her breath away. “I love you, Simon. Always.”
Simon shuddered, thrusting deeper, harder, his movements controlled and precise, his attention focused on Penelope and her pleasure. “Come for me, Penelope. Come for me now.”
She arched against him, obeying his demand, her inner walls convulsing about him as she tumbled over the edge of release. His name trembled on her lips…a plaintive cry that he not stop possessing her.
A muted roar of satisfaction escaped Simon when he quickly found his release, his body rocking against hers in a frantic need to prolong the exquisite sensations.
As the world righted itself once more, their heartbeats slowed and found a mutual rhythm.
Then his mouth tenderly found hers, and between the kisses, her husband praised her with utter reverence coloring his words.
“My sweet little mouse. My life. My love. I may still be a rakehell at heart, but I am your rakehell. And I will love you until I draw my last breath.”