Chapter 8
Lizzy raked her fingers through the soft, dark hair on Aaron’s chest. Would her husband-to-be be such a caring and passionate lover? Would he want to lie with her like this, or just see her as an available convenience? Would these times with Aaron ensure she could keep a husband happy?
She never could have imagined what she had just felt. Was it always like that? Had it been the same for Aaron? Had she pleased him? Done whatever it was that would keep a husband in her bed? Surely it was not that simple.
She had questions, but her mind and body were so languid, it would be an effort to speak. Soon she would have to rouse herself. Go home. And act as if she was the same Lizzy who had left the house that morning.
Aaron stroked her cheek. ‘You have the look of a well-bedded woman, Lizzy.’
‘Do I?’ She sat up, bringing her hand to her face. ‘Will everyone know?’
‘No one will know. The flush will leave your cheeks and if you tidy your hair, you will look as respectable as when you got here.’
Aaron pulled her down and she squealed. She was sprawled, naked, on top of him, his hands splayed across her bare buttocks and felt anything but respectable. She felt completely wanton.
‘I’m not sure I even want to be respectable anymore.’ There was a freedom in having no clothes and no societal restrictions. No expectations to behave a certain way.
But that was in the cocoon of being here and that was not her real life. There were expectations and responsibilities.
Lizzy, suddenly awkward, scrambled off Aaron and found her shift on the floor. She heard him moving behind her as she pulled it over her head and picked up her corset. He was sitting up against the pillows, watching her with a half-smile on his lips.
‘Can you get into that by yourself?’
Of course she couldn’t. She moved to the bed with her back to Aaron who deftly tightened and tied the laces and then the ties of her dress. Obviously something much practiced but Lizzy didn’t want to think about that.
While she did her best to smooth her hair in front of a small mirror, she unashamedly also looked at the reflection of a naked Aaron as he got off the bed, admiring his strongly muscled thighs and taut, rounded behind. He picked up a dark blue Banyan from the armchair.
‘A gentleman should maintain some propriety when seeing a lady out.’ He slid it on, doing up only a few buttons to hold it together in the front.
Lizzy straightened her gown and took one last look in the mirror. Her face looked no different, but her body still held the memory of the sensations Aaron had aroused in her. Elicited from her.
He caught her hand and drew her to him in a way that already felt so familiar and comfortable. ‘Lovely Lizzie. This has been a most pleasurable interlude.’
‘Most pleasurable.’ Lizzy found the gap in Aaron’s Banyan, sliding her hands in and over his bare skin and tilting her face up for a kiss.
Their lips met, softly then hungrily, then Aaron walked her downstairs and to the back door where her carriage waited outside.
‘Give it to me, Di.’ Lizzy made a grab for the envelope in her friend’s hand, but Dianna evaded her, promptly putting it on the window seat and sitting on it.
‘A fair exchange. Tell me about your last tryst with Aaron and you can have it. I’ve been patient enough.’
Lizzy had been reluctant to share details when Dianna had collected her in the carriage. Once she was away from the house, she wanted to remember it just for herself and they’d traveled home in silence. There had been no opportunity since, but today Dianna had convinced her mother that she needed Lizzy’s advice on a gown. The mothers were taking tea downstairs, and Dianna sat on the envelope with her arms crossed and a smug set to her mouth.
‘Tare an’ hounds, Di.’ Lizzy sat down hard in the window seat, not knowing what words to use to tell her friend what she’d done.
‘Elizabeth Charters. Your neck wouldn’t be turning the color of a damask rose if all you did was have tea again,’ her friend correctly observed.
Lizzy clasped her hands together, her eyes on her fingers.
‘There was no tea drinking this time. He kissed me...’ she drew a breath, ‘everywhere.’ When there was no response from Dianna, Lizzy suspected, not surprisingly, that she probably didn’t understand. ‘Before we…he kissed me…there.’ She stole a look at Dianna whose eyes eventually widened in realization.
‘There? Oh my.’ Dianna fanned her face with her hand. ‘Is that…usual?’
Lizzy shrugged. ‘How would I know that? I am as unaware of what is usual as you are. That is the reason I am... So I will know what is expected.’
‘And you liked it?’
She nodded. She had liked it so much that many of her waking thoughts were of Aaron’s mouth on her body and the feelings that had created.
‘And…the rest of it?’ Dianna continued her questioning.
‘I liked that too. Does that make me a harlot, Di?’ That thought had also plagued her, particularly after she’d delved under her mattress to read more about Fanny Hill. ‘Can I still be a lady if I enjoy…it?’
‘I most certainly hope so, because I intend to enjoy it also. You reassure me greatly.’ Dianna reached under her to retrieve the envelope. ‘The more you know, the more you can tell me.’ She handed it to Lizzy. ‘Mother is most impressed that her nephew is suddenly paying our family more visits.’
Lizzy took the envelope, broke the seal and withdrew the paper.
‘Oh, has he sent you a billet doux?’ Dianna peered over Lizzy’s arm at the lines of handwriting. ‘That is more than just a date for your next assignation.’
Lizzy turned away, holding the page out of Dianna’s sight.
Lizzy…
Her heart thumped at the sight of her name in the beautifully written script.
I would very much like the pleasure of your company, and of your body, next Monday at noon.
Aaron
Heat flooded her veins like it had when she’d read the rest of the pages of Fanny Hill.
‘Sooo?’ Dianna urged.
She folded the paper in half and moved to put it between the pages of The Mysteries of Udolpho which sat innocently beside her bed. Later, she would secrete it between the pages of Fanny Hill. She smiled to herself. She now had her very own erotic note, and the reality was so much more exciting than someone else’s words in a book.
Lizzy forced the smile from her face as she turned back to Dianna.
‘So, I will see him again next Monday.’
The door swung open before Lizzy had barely left the carriage and her heart thumped. Aaron stood in the doorway, his shirt open at the neck and dampness teased between her thighs. He held out his hand and the warmth from his fingers coursed through her body when she took it.
‘Come in, Lizzy.’
He led her inside where a delicious aroma filled the kitchen and Lizzy was surprised to see Mrs Moreton. ‘Good afternoon, my lady.’ Mrs Moreton curtsied.
‘Good afternoon,’ Lizzy replied, her cheeks flushing. Even though the woman would be aware of the goings on in this house, Lizzy was somewhat discomfited that Aaron, in his half-dressed state, made it so obvious what her visit was about. She didn’t doubt the woman’s discretion and she most likely didn’t know who Lizzy was, but Lizzy still wondered what she thought about it all.
‘Mrs Moreton has made us lunch. Would you prefer to eat in the dining room, or here?’ Aaron asked.
Lunch? Had she not understood his message? His state of dress? Had he changed his mind and didn’t desire her any longer?
‘You will need sustenance,’ he whispered in her ear and trailed a finger along her neck, and Lizzy was relieved.
‘How delightful.’ She glanced around the kitchen with its small vase of flowers on the wide windowsill, clutter of crockery, warm stove and lack of formality. ‘Let’s eat here.’
They took seats at the scarred but polished table and Mrs Moreton bustled around, placing soup bowls, plates and cutlery.
‘Have you had a pleasant week, Lizzy?’
She smiled at the contradiction of such an innocuous question and the ultimate intention of her visit. Like they were playing a game. A private game.
‘A most pleasant week. I spent quite a deal of my time reading.’ She looked at him innocently and suppressed a giggle when his eyebrows rose in understanding. Indeed, she had finished and then reread the leather-bound book that was still hidden under her mattress.
A tureen of soup was put on the table with a plate of buttered bread. Not what was usually served in the Chester household but the plain meal and Aaron’s casual dress in the warm kitchen felt natural.
‘I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the book.’ He met her eyes with a smile before he handed her the ladle.
Lizzy filled her bowl with the steaming soup and passed the ladle to Aaron.
‘I’ll be heading off now, your Lordship.’ Mrs Morton was already undoing her apron.
‘Thank you. Enjoy your afternoon.’ Aaron replied, filling his own bowl.
They ate in silence until the housekeeper gathered her coat and bag and left via the back door.
‘Thank you for sharing a meal with me, Lizzy.’ Aaron reached for a slice of bread. ‘It makes a nice change from my two rowdy friends or eating alone.’
Lizzy had never eaten a meal alone and couldn’t imagine what it would be like to sit in silence with just your own thoughts for company. Did he not lunch with his other…visitors?
That thought made her smile. It should be none of her concern how he spent his time, who he spent it with, yet it pleased her to know that this particular intimacy didn’t extend to others.
‘This is very delicious soup.’ It also pleased her to have such ordinary conversation. That there was a little more to their time together than the purely carnal.
‘Mrs Morton is a gem. She cooks like a dream, keeps a good house and keeps her lips sealed.’
Lizzy appreciated his reassurance. He already had a disreputable reputation so gossip would do him no harm. That he protected his guests spoke to his integrity.
Lizzy had barely swallowed the last crumb of her bread when Aaron was out of his seat and taking her hand to draw her to her feet. As soon as she was standing, he swept her into his arms.
‘I do have legs that work,’ she reprimanded as he strode up the staircase. ‘You don’t have to carry me every time.’
‘But what if I like carrying you? Would you deprive a man of such a simple pleasure?’ He pushed the door to his bedchamber open with his shoulder, walked to the bed and sat with Lizzy on his lap.
She was no longer surprised by the bulge in his breeches that nudged her thigh. ‘Oh, I hope you are wanting more than simple pleasure.’ She wriggled against it.
Aaron reached behind her to deftly undo the ties of her dress and push it from Lizzy’s shoulders so she could ease her arms out. Then he made quick work of her corset and reached down to rid her of her shoes as Lizzy’s nipples peaked with desire. Never would she have thought she’d ever be sitting on the knees of a handsome rake, being divested of her clothes, anticipating his touch on her bare skin.
Aaron pushed up the bottom of her shift to reach her garters, untied them and rolled her stockings off. Lizzy gasped when he cupped her foot, teasing the sensitive underside with his thumb and running his hand over her calf and thigh until he reached her wet folds. Her legs parted to allow his fingers to delve further.
Lizzy drew in a sharp breath when his fingertip brushed over her sensitive bud, her knees falling apart to allow him to explore further. The same sweet sensations that he’d created last time teased between her legs and she clutched at his shirt, surprised at the speed that pleasure was overtaking her. When his lips, then his teeth nipped at her throat just beneath her ear, Lizzy arched against Aaron’s hand and groaned.
‘Ah, Lizzy,’ he murmured against her hair. ‘It pleases me so much to hear you.’ His finger circled and Lizzy buried her head against his shoulder. All she wanted was that blissful release she knew was coming, that was so rapidly overtaking her body.
And then she was crying out and he was holding her hard against his body as his other hand cupped her softly as the wave of pleasure slowly receded.
When she finally lifted her head, he tilted her chin and kissed her softly and she remembered how he’d kissed her the last time. Where. He had seen to her pleasure but that wasn’t why she was here.
Lizzy slid off Aaron’s lap, kneeling on the floor between his knees and reaching for the fall on the front of his breeches which strained over his cock. She unbuttoned it, folding back the fabric and he sprang free. Although she had felt him in her hand before, explored its length and girth, now she marveled at the hard flesh, the softly rounded head, the nest of dark hair at its base.
She began to stroke him as she had the other day and Aaron groaned and threaded his fingers through her hair. A bead of fluid seeped from the small eyelet, fascinating Lizzy. Remembering the smooth sweep of his tongue and the pleasure that brought, she leaned forward and touched her tongue to the salty droplet.
‘Oh, Lizzy,’ he groaned.
Last time, Aaron had given all his attention to her, but if she wanted to keep her husband happy, she would need to pleasure him equally.
She touched her lips to the rounded dome, tentatively sliding them down over the rigid flesh and back up again. Aaron’s fingers loosened in her hair.
‘Mmm.’ He stroked her cheek.
Encouraged, she continued, tightening her lips, stroking him with her mouth, exploring his hardness with her tongue until he pulled away.
She sat back on her heels, wondering if she had done something wrong. Had hurt him perhaps.
‘Thank you, Lizzy. I was not expecting that, but if you continue with that magic our tryst will be over before it starts.’
He stood and drew Lizzy to her feet, pulling her shift up and over her head, then quickly rid himself of his shirt and breeches. He took a step back and looked at her, at her nakedness, and Lizzy reveled in his gaze.
‘You are very beautiful, Lizzy. A natural seductress. Your husband will be a very lucky man. I just hope he appreciates you and gives you what you deserve in return.’ He reached out for her hand, and they lay on the bed.
Happiness trilled through Lizzy’s body at his words. If an experienced rake saw her as a good lover, then she should be able to fulfil her mission to create a strong marriage in the bedchamber. With that assurance, she pushed Aaron onto his back and covered his mouth with hers.
Their lips parted, tongues explored, and Aaron dragged Lizzy on top of him, her legs parting on either side of his hips. The tip of his cock nudged the wet folds between her legs, and she pushed back against it, the movement rubbing on her taut nub. She rocked against him, moaning softly into his mouth.
‘Take me, Lizzy,’ Aaron said, against her lips.
Instinctively, Lizzy sat up on her knees, and Aaron took himself in hand. Lizzy moved forward and when his hardness met her folds, she sank down onto him. This time there was no resistance, only exhilarating pleasure as he filled her, and that pleasure only multiplied as he watched her in all her wantonness.
Aaron rested his hand on her hips, leaving her to set the pace as she rode him, slowly at first then needing more. His thumb moved to between her thighs, quickly finding her sensitive flesh and bringing her to the point where she knew release was imminent. That point she craved, which her body sought.
He thrust up, hard, and Lizzy cried out as his thumb brought her to completion. She slumped onto his chest, catching her breath, and he rolled her over, continuing to thrust. Lizzy watched his face, fascinated as his neck arched and he squeezed his eyes closed.
And then, again, he withdrew, and his seed covered her thigh. He was taking care not to get her with child, but she craved to have him stay within her, to feel his release to its end.
Lizzy rolled onto her side and curled against his chest, her hand splayed across his chest as his breathing eased. He kissed the top of her head and held her close.
Before too long, the sound of hooves on cobblestones came from below, in the mews.
‘Your carriage,’ Aaron pointed out needlessly. ‘That time passed so quickly. Too quickly.’
Lizzy nodded against his shoulder, and he eased himself away, getting out of bed and going to the jug and basin on the washstand. He poured water into the basin and dampened a cloth, bringing it over to the bed where he gently wiped the stickiness from her thigh then kissed her low on her belly. The unexpected kindness warmed her heart.
‘I better not keep Dianna waiting. It will only give her more reason to tease me.’ Lizzy sat up and swung her legs to the floor.
‘How much do you tell her?’ Aaron found her clothes on the floor and lay them on the bed.
‘Enough to quench her curiosity.’ Lizzy pulled her stockings on and tied her garters as Aaron donned his breeches and it seemed such a natural situation to be talking so easily as they dressed.
She put on her shift and Aaron sat on the bed, holding out her corset as if his assistance was well-established routine. Lizzy came to stand between his thighs as he laced her up, then tied the ties of her gown when she slipped it on.
‘Your hair needs some attention.’ He pushed her gently towards the mirror. ‘While Dianna might know what you’ve been up to, there is no need to give her evidence.’
Lizzy laughed out loud at her reflection with limp curls and strands that had come lose from pins. She raked her fingers through her hair and re-pinned the unruly tresses. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do.
‘Your shoes, milady.’ Aaron had placed them side by side, ready for her to step into, but he remained barefoot. He held out his hand so she could steady herself as she slipped them on, then drew her into his arms for a kiss.
The softness of his lips, the gentle strength of his tongue were already so familiar to her and Lizzy wrapped her arms around his neck to feel the length of his body against hers. Then she pulled away. Nothing was to be gained by prolonging her departure.