Duty to Love (8 page)

He
no longer wanted to confuse duty and honor to those he loved with a duty to
society.

 
“No one need know of our arrangement but us,
and if the three of us together would make us each happy then yes, I would want
to share you. Not because I value you less, but because there is no price too
high for your happiness. But I don't want to push you into something. When I
married you, I chose you, and I will respect any choice you make. I just want
to be honest with you from the start about how I feel. I think it is important
that we start our marriage as we would like it to continue.”

“And
if I say this is too much for
me,
and that I want no
part of this marriage at all after what you have suggested?”

“Then
I will seek to earn your forgiveness over time. James, I think, would be gone
by morning.”

****

“I
am being given an ultimatum then?” This was all so new to Amelia, and she felt
trapped.

She
was being given the ultimate freedom—the chance to love two men—but she felt
trapped.

There
were only ever two people in a marriage, according to her understanding of the
world, but her heart wanted to break free. Her body wanted to be able to
connect with the two men she felt love and desire for.

 
Would it be so very different from many
marriages where men had a mistress on the side? That spouses were not faithful
was willingly accepted by society, though she would never be unfaithful to
Arthur. A commitment from them both to James was, she felt, more open and
honest. It could not really be contrary to her nature, or else her heart would
not respond to both of them as it did.

Was
she seriously considering this then?

“What
if James changes his mind? Maybe not tomorrow, but what if he wants to get
married in the future,
have
children of his own?”

“James
would no more change his mind than I would. I know my brother in this. It is
not the marriage that binds us together but love.” Arthur felt no concern in
speaking for his brother when it came to feelings for Amelia.

 
“Any children will be our children, James's,
yours, and mine. I will be their legal father, and James the doting uncle, but
in truth we will love them just the same. James and I share the same blood, so there
will be no betrayal of the family name, and this way James's child may well
inherit.”

“How
would it work? Would you take turns?”

Arthur
clearly guessed what she was alluding to. “No, everything would be shared
between the three of us together, including the marriage bed. There would be no
awkwardness of secrecy.”

He
made it all sound so neat, so possible, even if she didn’t fully understand how
they could all be together physically. Maybe they would both kiss her, at the
same time, in different places!

****

Arthur
held his breath, barely able to believe that Amelia was considering saying yes.
More importantly, she wasn't saying no. It was up to him to show her it could
work.
 
Mindful to be sensitive to the
smallest sign of resistance, he led Amelia across the room to the door that
connected to his. She made no objection as he reached for the handle.
Turned it.

Together
they crossed the threshold.

Chapter Five

James
was seated on the edge of the bed, the back of his knees not meeting the cover.
He might have looked poised to jump up quickly, except his head rested in his
hands. Upon hearing them enter he raised his head.

Arthur
motioned to him to be silent, and then looking to Amelia he said, “We would
very much like to undress you.”

Amelia's
eyes flashed to James, looking for confirmation of Arthur's words.

She
must have found the answer she sought as she fingered the ties of her nightgown,
tentatively releasing the delicate bow holding them together.

Arthur
heard James gasp. With Amelia facing towards him he was getting first look at
her breasts. Judging by his rapt expression, including low hanging jaw, they were
entrancing.

“So
beautiful,” James whispered hoarsely.

Arthur
wasn't jealous, but he did desperately want to see for himself. Gripping
Amelia's shoulders gently he spun her round to face him. Oh, yes. Arthur didn't
think he'd ever seen a pair so beautiful.

Until
now Arthur had always thought breasts were breasts, beautiful whatever their
size and shape, but Amelia's looked so ripe, so firm, upward-tilted so that her
plump little nipples stood proud on their large areola cushions. Clearly a
handful and a mouthful at the same time, and they were his to touch! No wonder
James had appeared so awed. After his long stretch of abstinence he must feel
like a lad looking at a pair of tits for the first time.

“You're
staring. Is something wrong?” Amelia moved to cover herself.

“Not
wrong, perfect.” Arthur tentatively reached out his index finger to trace a
line down the slope of her breast. They both moaned.

“That
feels so good, like nothing I've ever felt before.”

“Your
nipples are hard for us. They're excited to be touched, so that's why it feels
so good.”

“
Do
it again, please.”

Arthur
felt a thrill of pleasure. They'd barely touched her, and already she was
begging for more. He'd never imagined she could be so responsive.

Fitting
both hands to her breasts, he stroked, kneaded, and, unable to help himself,
even pinched. Her every gasp and moan gave him encouragement. She barely
stopped for breath.

Her
hands now gripped his shoulders, and her hips were rocking back and forward as
if trying to ease the sensation she felt in her womb.

Her
nightdress was draped around her hips, and when James came to stand behind her,
his hands reaching around to caress her breasts, Arthur guided it to the floor.
He couldn't resist putting his hand to her curls. Warm moisture greeted his
palm. He slipped a finger in to seek the center of her pleasure. Chances were
she'd never touched her bud. Arthur pressed. Then in shock he watched rapt as
her body trembled, and she rubbed her pussy wildly against his hand.

“She's
peaking, Arthur; I think she's peaking!” James cried excitedly from the other
side of Amelia.

Arthur
rubbed her slick flesh vigorously. Arthur couldn't have been more amazed or
pleased. In his previous encounters with women he had always sought to give
them pleasure, sometimes more successfully than others, but never without a
great deal more time and coaxing. He had secretly hoped to bring Amelia
pleasure this first time, as her initiation into lovemaking, but he had by no
means felt assured of success. Now he wondered whether he could do it again.

****

“
Ohhhh
…
ohhh
.”
Amelia felt her legs give
way. With James's arms around her Amelia let the weight of her body fall into
him without a moment of fear.

He
caught her as she knew he would.

No
previous experience had prepared her for what had just happened. What had just
happened? Her body had centered on where Arthur had touched her. A single touch
on a single point of her body detonated an explosion that had shaken her
physically and left her emotionally drained. It had felt fantastic. She itched to
feel it again.

“What
was that?”

James
lowered her body to the bed, while Arthur answered her question “You found your
pleasure, and you climaxed. It happens with a man when he releases his seed,
and for some women there is also a moment of true pleasure.”

“Just one?”

Arthur
and James both let out a burst of laughter.

Amelia
was sure she should feel embarrassed. She was lying on the bed naked while both
Arthur and James were fully clothed. She'd just lost control of her body.
Instead of mortification her mind felt strangely lazy, disconnected from her
body, almost like a river, her thoughts the water flowing freely past her body,
the stones and plants of the river bed, connected, sharing sensations,
distinctly different, yet one with the other. A small laugh burst from her as
she realized how fanciful she was being.

Her
body shifted as James rolled next to her on the bed. Stretching his tall frame
out beside her, he rested his head upraised upon one hand, tracing the other
over Amelia's body. Highly sensitized, Amelia felt the roughened surface of
James's fingertips as they passed over each of the hairs on her arm.

“I
can't believe I'm finally touching you”

Amelia
couldn't really believe it either. James was touching her, and Arthur (not for
one moment could she forget), Arthur was there, too, was watching them, his eyes
following the movement of James's hand as he lifted his own to untie his
cravat. No concentration was given to the task, the knots of silk sliding free
agonizingly slowly.

Amelia
was mesmerized as the cloth was slowly lifted, revealing a hint of Arthur's
chest. She watched as he slowly slid the buttons free of their holes. She
watched as he undid each cuff. When the shirt was parted, she released the
breath she'd been holding and looked her fill.

Arthur
was glorious. Maybe she would have felt this way whatever his body looked like,
but Amelia was inclined to believe that Arthur was supremely male and therefore
supremely beautiful. His skin was naturally a shade or two darker than
hers, not that
that was difficult given her pale white,
freckled skin tone.

It
looked as if his skin would be smooth to the touch, not soft and giving like
hers, but polished and inviting of pressure to test its resilience.

The
dusting of dark hairs created fascinating patterns, drawing the eye to small
brown nipples, and creating a trail down to the groin.

Oh
my God! While Amelia had been admiring the view revealed by the removal of
Arthur's shirt, he had unfastened his trousers and dropped both them and his underclothes.

His
privates were on display. Oh my God!

Amelia
gasped. Did all men look like this beneath their trousers? She risked a look at
James. There was a significant bulge there, too. Well, at least she now
understood how her husband's “manhood” was going to go inside her. Wait a
minute. That was going inside her?

Fear
must have shown on her face as James leaned over to kiss her, whispering that
everything was going to be all right, so good, perfect in fact.

“I
can't wait.” Amelia wasn't sure if Arthur was speaking to her or James. No
response was needed as Arthur climbed onto the bed, gently eased her legs wider
apart and settled between them. This was it then.

She
felt his weight ease down onto her body, the heat of his skin a warming
comfort.

He
placed a few kisses randomly across her face and upper body, and then he was
pushing forward, his arousal seeking entrance to her body. It seemed awkward,
and she felt Arthur sliding his hand down to part her folds and align himself.

There
was the pressure again. Tension began to fill her limbs as the pressure mounted
for something to give.

Where before the sound of Arthur and James breathing in the quiet of the
room had seemed part of the excitement, now it added to her nervousness.

Amelia
knew that it was supposed to hurt, at least the first time or the first few
times, but the pleasure she had experienced to this point had made her forget,
and the surprise of the mounting pain intensified her panic.

Arthur
was groaning repeatedly. Was there a problem? He must know it was hurting.

“It
hurts.” No harm in letting him
know
.

Arthur
froze.

“What
should I do?” There must be something she could do to help.

“Let
me help.” James interrupted them. “Arthur, kneel up. Can you hold back while I
give Amelia something else to focus on?”

Arthur
moved position.

****

James
could feel Amelia's distress. The tension gripping her limbs was plain to see
as her arms pulled tight, fingertips curled into the bedclothes, the sheets no
longer smoothly ordered.

 
He desperately sought to make eye contact,
looking to reassure her, but her eyelids were fastened down tight. Only her
mouth lay open, her breaths coming short and quick.

He
could only imagine the agony Arthur was experiencing, desperate to be inside
her, his body urging him to break down every resistance. Not wanting to hurt
her, yet drawn to her slick heat. Tight, too, if the struggle he was facing was
any indication.

Holding
back and allowing Arthur to take the lead was also stretching James’s patience.
Amelia's pleasure had been like a soothing balm to his impatient need, but now
there was little sign of her enjoyment. He stroked his hands up and down her
arms,
having paused when Arthur moved over her, not sure his
advances would have been appreciated at that point. Now he allowed himself free
reign to caress the breasts that fascinated him. His hands might have left them
earlier, but he hadn't been able to pry his eyes away.