His Reluctant Lady (17 page)

She forgot her rigid stance and melted
against him. To her delight, he spent considerable time kissing
her. His hand staying on her face, not rushing her into anything
she wasn’t ready for. A delightful warmth spread out across her
body, making her nipples tighten and the area between her legs
ache. She didn’t know why kissing should cause such strange
reactions, but she found she enjoyed them.

She shifted closer to him, aware that
doing so made her body spark in excitement. There must be more.
Intrigued, she pressed her body against his. For a moment, the feel
of his erection made her stiffen, but he wrapped her in his arms
and kept kissing her. His fingers caressed her back in a hypnotic
manner and she forgot about his erection.

When his mouth left hers, she let out a
soft moan, hardly aware she’d been so vocal but feeling too good to
care. He graced her cheek with light kisses and worked his way down
to her neck. She shivered in delight. She had no idea it could be
like this. Soft and tender. Gentle and loving. It wasn’t something
that had to be rushed through.

His hand cupped her breast and his
thumb brushed across her nipple. A spark shot from her nipple to
her core, an odd sensation but one she was curious about. He
repeated the action and she shifted to make it easier for him.
Still kissing her neck, he continued his ministrations, alternating
between brief touches to lightly squeezing it. All of it was
wonderful. All of it was making her core ache more for him. It was
absurd that she should long for him to enter her, but as he teased
one breast and then another, she became increasingly aware of her
need for him.

This time when his erection touched her
hip, she didn’t shy away from it. There was something
overwhelmingly sweet about everything he was doing to her that made
her feel safe. Under ordinary circumstances, she would have put up
a resistance to exposing herself to anyone, but it was different
with him. Different how, she wasn’t sure. She only knew that he
cared about her enough to consider her needs before his, and she
couldn’t recall a time when anyone did that for her.

“
Agatha,” he
whispered.

Surprised he’d said her name, she
opened her eyes. He was still kissing her neck and caressing her
breasts so she couldn’t see his face, but she didn’t have to see it
to know that making love to her made him feel closer to her. There
was something emotional taking place, something she didn’t
understand, something that scared and thrilled her at the same
time. And she didn’t know how to handle it. It was easier to focus
on the physical act they were sharing.

Closing her eyes, she turned her
attention back to his hand which traveled down her stomach then to
her abdomen until it settled on the mound of curls between her
legs. She parted her legs without any coaxing on his end. He
accepted her silent encouragement and brushed the moist folds of
her flesh. He didn’t enter her right away but took his time
exploring her, tracing the entire area. She squirmed and moaned,
the ache growing more insistent the longer he teased
her.

His mouth descended to her breasts, and
his tongue centered on the nipple closest to him. She groaned,
louder this time, and shifted her hips so that his finger slid into
her. Her hands gripping his arms, she moved, encouraging him to go
deeper. He obliged and slid another finger in, finding the
sensitive area of her core and stroking her.

All she could do was focus on the
pleasure mounting deep in her, her hips rocking to assist him as
she murmured for him to keep going. And just when she thought there
was nothing he could do to intensify the sensations building in
her, he brought his mouth between her legs and licked her sensitive
nub. It was soon after that, that she found herself at the edge of
release. She grabbed the sheets beneath her and cried out when she
reached her peak. He continued to caress her, his movements softer
than before but prolonging each wave of pleasure that consumed
her.

When she relaxed her grip on the
sheets, he slid his fingers out of her and moved so that he was on
top of her. Her body still throbbed from the effects of her climax,
and she barely had the strength to pull him toward her. He kissed
her, the tip of his arousal at her entrance. She moaned and wiggled
closer to him so that his tip dipped into her. She knew he was
deliberately tormenting her. Even if she had found her pleasure,
she still needed to be filled by him. Groaning, she wrapped her
legs around his waist, drawing him in deeper until he was all the
way in.

Her nails dug into his arms. It felt
wonderful. Absolutely and completely wonderful. He moved, his
erection stroking her, bringing her pleasure similar to the way his
fingers had. She worked with him, aware that as his thrusting grew
more insistent, it was also hurling her toward another orgasm. And
when she found her release, he came, his body shuddering with
hers.

Afterwards, they rested in each other’s
arms. She couldn’t recall a time when she’d been more content and
at peace. She didn’t think she’d ever be reluctant for a gentleman
to remove his penis from her, but she experienced a slight twinge
of regret for the loss of their intimate contact when he pulled out
of her. She expected him to go to his bedchamber but he didn’t. He
drew her into his arms, kissed the top of her head, and closed his
eyes. Unsure of what to do, she watched him until he drifted off to
sleep.

So he was going to stay in her bed for
the rest of the night. It wasn’t that she minded. It was just
unusual. She couldn’t recall ever hearing of a gentleman doing such
a thing with his wife, but even so, it was nice that Christopher
chose to. Even if the only reason he stayed was because he was too
tired to go to his bedchamber, it was still pleasant to have
someone with her, especially someone who held her in a protective
embrace. She closed her eyes. And after a while, she was finally
able to fall asleep.

Chapter Fifteen

When Agatha woke up the next morning,
the first thing she noticed was the feel of someone stroking her
cheek. The touch was gentle, akin to a breeze gracing her skin. It
was soothing, almost to the point where she thought she might go
back to sleep, but the erection pressing into her side brought her
attention to her husband.

Without opening her eyes, she asked,
“Aren’t you tired?”

Christopher kissed her. “Why would I be
tired?”

“
Well, we did it a couple of
times already. In one night,” she added for emphasis.

“
Four to be exact, but who’s
counting?” he teased and brought her into his arms. “Are you tired
this morning, my love?”

“
No, but then I usually go
to bed late. What time is it?”

“
A little after ten.” He
kissed her, his tongue tracing her lower lip until she opened her
mouth to receive him. Deepening the kiss, he brought his hand to
her breast and lightly squeezed it, brushing his thumb over her
nipple. “Do you mind if we spend a little more time in
bed?”

Noting the way he lowered his hand so
he could wrap one of her legs around his waist, she said, “I don’t
think I have much of a choice.”

Not that she minded. Now that she knew
it wouldn’t hurt or that he wouldn’t call her by another lady’s
name, she could handle this part of being his wife, though she
didn’t dare tell him that. It seemed inappropriate to reveal such a
thing to him.

“
You always have a choice,”
he whispered, his hand cupping her bottom so that he could center
his hard shaft against her sensitive nub, an action which made her
shiver in pleasure. “I’m just hoping you’ll choose to do
this.”

“
Yes, I can feel that,” she
murmured, wiggling against him. “I know my duty as your
wife.”

He chuckled and squeezed her bottom.
“It’s a duty you seem to enjoy.”

He saved her from having to answer him
by rolling onto his back, taking her with him. Settling his hands
on her hips, he encouraged her to rock her hips, moaning as she
obeyed his leading. She opened her eyes, chancing a look at him and
saw that he had his eyes closed and a slight smile on his face. She
liked the way he looked when he was experiencing a mixture of
mounting pleasure and blissful contentment. Moving her hips faster,
she softly groaned, her body eager to find completion in being with
him. Her hair fell over her shoulders, tickling her nipples in a
way that further aroused her.

Her sensitive nub stroked his erection,
and he encouraged her to establish a rhythm that intensified her
pleasure. She didn’t think it was possible, that her body would be
so receptive to him, but it was and she tilted her head back and
groaned when she climaxed. She stilled, embracing each wave of
pleasure as it crashed into her.

Once the intensity of the moment
subsided, he entered her, filling her core, something that she
could now allow him to do without the slightest hesitation. She no
longer worried that being with him would be similar to what being
with her first husband was like, and that meant her wifely duty was
no longer something she had to fear. Her body clenched around him
and she shifted so he could slide deeper into her.

He whispered her name and moved his
hips beneath her. She watched him as he continued making love to
her, knowing he was thinking of her while he was doing this and
feeling grateful for it. At one point, he rolled her onto her back
and kissed her before he resumed his thrusting, his actions growing
more anxious as he continued. She worked with him, doing her part
to aid him along until he found completion in the act and filled
her womb with his seed. When he collapsed in her arms, she held him
to her, her rapid heartbeat matching his.

When their bodies calmed, he gave her a
kiss. “What would you like to do today?”

“
Well, I wouldn’t mind
engaging in my secret activity while in my drawing room.”
Especially since he’d inspired the interesting twist to her story
without realizing it. Now that she’d figured out the scandal that
would force her characters to marry, she had a hard time pulling
herself away from writing. “I don’t suppose you’d allow me an hour
or two alone?”

“
Does that mean you’re
willing to spend some time with me when you’re done?”

She shrugged. “I suppose I could spare
a minute or two.”

He grinned at her joke and kissed her
shoulder. “I’ll take whatever time you give me.” He rolled onto his
side and sat up. “I better get out of here so you can engage in
your secret activity.” With a glance in her direction, he asked,
“Will you share a meal with me first?”

“
Of course.” Before he could
take it to mean she wanted to spend time with him, something she
couldn’t bring herself to admit, she added, “I’ll be able to focus
on what I need to do in the drawing room better after
eating.”

Amused, his eyebrow rose. “Are you
trying to tempt me to sneak into your drawing room to find out your
secrets?”

“
I’d do no such
thing.”

He leaned over and gave her another
kiss before he gathered his robe and headed for the door that
connected their bedchambers. Glancing at her as he reached the
door, he called out, “Good because I’d hate for you to make it easy
for me to solve another mystery about you.”

Smiling, she got out of bed and rang
for her lady’s maid.

***

“
Won’t you at least consider
it?” Christopher asked.

Agatha turned her attention from the
window of the carriage in time to see the hopeful expression on his
face. “I managed through your cousin’s dinner party. Must we have
one of our own?”

“
I enjoy dinner
parties.”

“
Then talk your cousin into
having another one.”

His shoulders slumped but he didn’t
argue with her. She expected him to. At any moment, he’d probably
spout off some nonsense about being her husband and that gave him
the right to host a dinner party without her consent.

After a minute passed, he shrugged.
“All right.”

She waited to see if that was the end
of the discussion, and when she was assured it was, she fiddled
with the reticule resting in her lap. “I don’t like being around a
lot of people,” she finally admitted. “I prefer things to be quiet.
When I go to balls or dinner parties, it takes a great deal out of
me.”

“
You mean you really do get
headaches?”

“
I do if the evening goes on
to the point where I don’t think it’ll ever end.” She didn’t think
he liked hearing that, especially since he was the type of person
who seemed to love being around other people. “Some ladies love
being the center of attention and hosting balls and parties. I
happen to get much more enjoyment out of being alone where I can
have peace and quiet. You should have taken the time to find out
more about me before you began your pursuit of me.”

He leaned toward her, his hand cupping
her elbow. “If you’re implying I made a mistake in marrying you,
you’re wrong. I can’t help but notice from the moment I met you,
you’ve done whatever you can to push me away. Will you continue to
do so now, even when we shared a wonderful night
together?”