His Reluctant Lady (26 page)

She bit her lower lip to stop herself
from moaning any louder as she neared her peak, but he whispered,
“Don’t hold back. I want to hear you as you receive your
pleasure.”

Her orgasm crashed over her then and
she cried out, for the first time not resisting the urge to be
loud. She grew still and continued to moan as each wave of pleasure
coursed through her.

Embracing her, he rolled her over and
kissed her neck. Out of breath, she remained still as he took
control. He felt so very wonderful. His hands traced her body,
going slow and caressing every part of her, rousing her desire once
more. He teased her nipples so that sparks of pleasure ran straight
to her core and she moaned, this time not caring how soft or loud
she was.

“
You like that?” he
whispered. “How about this?” His fingers went lower and settled
between her legs. He caressed the wet folds of her flesh, and she
lifted her hips and groaned. “Would you like me to go into you?”
Using one of his fingers, he brushed it against her opening,
letting it hover slightly over it, just shy of going in.

“
Yes, yes I want you inside
me.” She shifted so that he was in her.

Her core was sensitive to his touch,
her arousal heightened from her climax just minutes ago. She wanted
another orgasm, needed another one.

Reaching down, she guided two more of
his fingers into her. “I need you.”

He obliged and stroked her. “Do you
desire to make love, Agatha?”

“
Yes.” She grasped the
sheets beneath her and squirmed. “I love doing this. I love doing
it with you.”

He lowered his head and kissed her
cheek, but her attention was drawn to her core where he continued
his ministrations. When she experienced her second orgasm, she
cried out his name, no longer feeling that it was wrong to let him
know she enjoyed being intimate with him.

Once her head cleared, she realized he
was kissing her, his actions indicating his need to find completion
in what they started. And she wanted to give him completion. She
wanted to know he received pleasure from her body, just as she’d
found pleasure from his.

She rolled him over so that she was on
top of him and this time, she took him into her. “You feel good,”
she whispered, her breathing still uneven.

“
You do, too,” he murmured
and cupped her breasts in his hands.

She moved her hips, closing her eyes so
she could focus on how good he felt. They worked in unison as he
voiced his appreciation for her, murmuring how grateful he was that
they were together. Her body flushed with pleasure, this time more
from his words than their actions, and she realized that even as
they were being physically intimate, they were also growing closer
emotionally.

Why hadn’t she understood there was
more to love making than the physical act, that their hearts were
as entwined as their bodies were? After he found his release, she
drew closer to him. She’d never been more content to be in bed. He
wrapped her in his arms, and she sighed.

“
I love you, Agatha,” he
softly said, brushing his lips on the top of her head.

“
I love you, too,” she
admitted.

“
Good.”

Perhaps stating her feelings didn’t
make her weak after all. Maybe it actually made her stronger. She
contemplated all of this while he drifted off to sleep. Deciding
she’d stay in his bed for the rest of the night, she pulled the
covers over them and returned to his arms. This was definitely one
of the nicest moments of their marriage, and she was determined
they would have many more just like it in the future, even if she
had to go to his bed every night to make it happen.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“
She what?” Agatha turned to
face her aunt who paced the drawing room floor in her townhouse.
When her aunt came over for a visit, this was the last thing she
expected. “You can’t be serious.”

“
I don’t know what to
think.” Her aunt groaned and sat in the chair. “I knew she fancied
Mister Landry, but I thought she’d have more sense than to run off
and elope with him, especially since she was engaged to Lord
Clement.”

After a long moment passed between
them, Agatha looked back at her. “Did Sophie really elope with
him?”

Her aunt nodded.

She stared out the window and
considered her options. There really weren’t any. Her sister had
just ruined her life, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Mister Landry had married her for the money, and now he’d get it.
She could only hope he’d be kind enough to ease her into the
consummation of their marriage. If he did that much, she’d feel
much better about the marriage. With a long sigh, she rubbed her
forehead. “Does Lord Clement know?”

“
Not yet. I wasn’t sure what
to tell him and thought since your husband is his cousin
that…”

She took in her aunt’s hopeful
expression and nodded. “Christopher’s the logical choice.” And
since she doubted he’d be tactful about it, she would go with him.
Going over to her aunt who pulled out a handkerchief, she helped
her stand up and rubbed her back as she led her to the door.
“Christopher and I will tell Lord Clement at once.”

Being a gentleman, he had
his pride, and it’d be better if he knew before the gossip spread
across the Ton, though not of her own doing. She couldn’t report
something like this to the
Tittletattle
, not when she knew how
kind Perry was.

Just as she and her aunt made it to the
door, Christopher rounded the corner of the hall and smiled when he
saw them. “Ah, to what do I owe this pleasure, Mrs.
Garrison?”

“
I’m afraid my dear aunt is
distressed,” Agatha answered for her. Lowering her voice, she
added, “It turns out my sister has eloped with Mister
Landry.”

His eyes grew wide and for a moment she
was afraid he’d laugh, but to her relief, his expression remained
solemn. “That’s very unfortunate.”

“
It is,” her aunt replied,
pressing her hand to her chest. “I’m afraid this won’t bode well
for Sophie’s future, but what can we do? It’s not like we can chase
after her and undo this travesty.”

Christopher paused for a moment then
said, “I’ll see to it that Mister Landry will treat her with the
upmost respect.”

“
Will you?”

“
Yes. She’s my
sister-in-law. I have a vested interest in her
happiness.”

Though Agatha knew he meant well, she
had her doubts about Mister Landry. “You should go back home,” she
told her aunt, leading her to the front door. “Make sure you get
plenty of rest and remember to eat well. We’ll be off to Lord
Clement’s to give him the news.” She glanced at Christopher who
indicated his agreement. When they reached the door, she hugged
her. “If Sophie needs anything, she’ll be welcome here, so try not
to worry.”

“
I’ll try,” her aunt
promised then left.

Agatha waited until her aunt was in her
carriage before turning to the footman. “We’ll need the carriage at
once. We need to go to Lord Clement’s residence.”

He bowed and hurried to fetch the coach
driver.

Christopher closed the gap between them
and shot her a pointed look. “All of this is ridiculous. Mister
Landry will be good to your sister. You and your aunt are fretting
over nothing.”

“
I’d like to believe you,
but I’ve been married to someone who was charming until the wedding
was over. Some gentleman are only nice long enough to secure
wealth.”

“
Agatha,” he pulled her into
his arms then brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, “my
darling Agatha, do you still doubt me when I tell you your worries
are for nothing?”

She started to protest but knew it’d be
a lie and, worse, he’d see right through it. “All right. I do have
my doubts. Do gentlemen tell each other what their intentions are
with the lady they intend to marry?”

A wicked grin crossed his face before
he kissed her. “I can’t speak for all gentlemen, but I didn’t have
to tell anyone what my intentions were with you. It was
understood.”

She glanced around the entryway to make
sure no one heard him. “You don’t mind your words very well,” she
whispered. “I don’t think it’s wise to say such things outside the
bedchamber.”

He chuckled and kissed her again, this
time letting his lips linger on hers, an action which made her melt
against him. Oh, how wonderful it was to be desired so well! When
he ended the kiss, he said, “You should know by now that I refuse
to keep my behavior restricted to the bedchamber.”

“
Yes, I remember what you
did to me on my desk.” Her face flushed. If her aunt had any idea
what had happened in the drawing room that morning… Clearing her
throat, she pulled away from him. “You’re a wicked gentleman,
Christopher. Assaulting me while I was trying to
write...”

He brought her back into his arms and
kissed her neck. “I just wanted to help you with one of your more
interesting scenes.”

“
I don’t intend to put a
love scene in the book.”

“
But it’d be more
interesting if you did.”

“
I’m sure for you it would
be, but I’d rather keep people up at night, wondering if something
is lurking in the shadows.”

“
You have an evil streak in
you, my love, if you take delight in scaring people.”

She chuckled and kissed him. “I happen
to think it’s fun to get scared when I read a book.”

“
Which is why it’s good we
sleep in the same bed. I sleep better knowing you’re there to
protect me.”

Noting the carriage pulling up to the
house, she stepped away from him. “How do you think your cousin
will take the news?”

“
You’re growing soft,
Agatha. I didn’t think you cared about anything but his title and
wealth.”

She got ready to give him a scolding
remark for casting her in such an unflattering light when she saw
his teasing grin. Relaxing, she decided to concede to his
observation. “I suppose in the past I have placed more emphasis on
his title and wealth, but then I got to know him and realized he’s
got a good heart. It’s unfortunate Sophie didn’t take the time to
discover that as well. I just hope he doesn’t lose hope. I know
there’s a lady out there who’ll need someone as good-hearted as
him.”

He escorted her down the steps of the
townhouse, and once they were in the carriage, he closed the gap
between them. “Try not to be discouraged. My cousin never gives up.
He’ll be back at the balls, seeking out another lady to marry. He
does this every year. I’m sure he has the routine
perfected.”

She tried to ignore the way her body
reacted to his touch as he traced the skin beneath her ear. “But
that must get discouraging.”

“
He hasn’t voiced a
complaint.”

“
I don’t think he would.
He’s not the kind of gentleman who makes a fuss.”

He kissed her cheek. “He’ll be
fine.”

With a sigh, she grabbed his hand
before it went to her breast. “You can’t do this right now. I need
to focus on what I’m going to tell him.”

“
Are you saying I’m
distracting?”

Noting his teasing tone, she clasped
her hands around his and giggled. “Very. Now we need to figure out
what we can tell Perry.”

“
What’s there to say? Sophie
ran off with another gentleman. We’re sorry. Then we leave before
he blames it all on his cane.”

“
Oh, that’s silly. He won’t
blame it on his cane.”

Though he rolled his eyes, he didn’t
answer.

She spent the rest of the carriage ride
debating different ways to tell Perry the bad news, but when the
carriage came to a stop, she didn’t feel any more ready than she
had when they left.

Christopher squeezed her hand.
“Everything will be fine. You’re only here to tell him he has to
find another lady to marry, not that he’s going to die.”

She released her breath and nodded,
still not sure how she was going to tactfully handle this. Tact,
after all, had never been one of her strong points. Usually, she
said whatever was on her mind, and that wasn’t always the best
thing to say. Granted, there were times when she thought someone
needed to hear what was on her mind. Right now, she’d like to tell
Sophie exactly what she thought of this whole thing!

The footman opened the door and she
squared her shoulders back and left the carriage.

Christopher followed suit. “You’re ever
the diligent soldier, aren’t you?”

“
What do you mean?” She
glanced at the carriage as they walked up the stairs to the
townhouse.

“
Your expression and your
body. It speaks volumes about your intentions. You are determined
to do this no matter how painful it may be.”

“
I have to do it because my
aunt refuses to, and I can’t let him find out through the
scandalmongers.”

They stopped at the door and
he knocked on it. “So this isn’t
Tittletattle
worthy?”