If He's Noble (Wherlocke Book 7) (Paranormal Historical Romance) (21 page)

Thinking to give him at least a little of the pleasure he had given her, she began to kiss her way down his body. The way he tensed and the faint tremor that went through him told her he liked it. Then she kissed the tip of his erection and he groaned. Chancing a peek at him, she blushed as she caught him watching her but the look in his beautiful eyes encouraged her to be even more daring and she slowly ran her tongue up his length. He buried his fingers in her hair and she decided to keep teasing him, exploring him thoroughly with her tongue and fingers.

“Take me into your mouth, love,” he whispered.

Primrose thought about that for just a moment and then did as he asked, finding new ways to drive him mad if the sounds he was making were any indication. Then he grabbed her under the arms, pulled her away, and tugged her up his body. Before she finished the thought that she had done something wrong, he joined their bodies. She sat on top of him for a moment, still somewhat dazed from pleasuring him, and then he placed his hands on her hips and lifted her, then slowly brought her back down on him. He did it twice more before she felt brave enough to do it on her own. He leaned up to kiss her breasts and she lost herself completely in the lovemaking and the delight they could give each other, until the fire flared and swept through her. He held her tight against him as he thrust inside her several more times and joined her in her release.

Primrose toyed with the curls on his chest and worked hard to convince herself that she had nothing to be embarrassed about, but total abandon, even in her husband’s arms, was not easy to forget. The way he was gently stroking her back told her he was content and she decided that was all that mattered. Yet, when he set her aside and went through the ritual of cleaning them both off, she could feel the annoying heat of a blush on her cheeks.

Bened grinned as he crawled back into bed and pulled his wife into his arms. Once her desire was stirred, Primrose could be a wild delight in a man’s arms, but once those flames cooled she tended to worry that she had gone too far. He suspected it would take awhile before he could convince her that her husband wanted her to get a little untamed anytime she wanted to.

“I did not forget to give you a wedding present, you know,” she said, lightly nuzzling his neck.

“You did not have to get me anything.”

“Well, I suppose one might say I did not actually get this but was given this.”

Primrose wondered exactly how to tell him she was with child. She knew he would be pleased but she did not wish to shock him or make him become too overprotective. They had a home to make together and she did not want him denying her the chance to help in that just because she carried a child, his child.

“Is it some sort of family heirloom or the like?”

“No.” She rested her arms on his chest and looked at him. “I was going to be so clever and slip in the information in some clever way but cleverness is failing me right now.”

“Then just be blunt. I rather like blunt.”

“Your wedding gift from me is that I am with child.”

His eyes went so wide and he stopped breathing for a moment. Primrose looked at him in alarm but he did not look angry. Then he began to smile, a broad smile so joyous that she could not stop her own smile from forming.

Bened slipped his hand over her flat stomach. “You carry my child. Our child. You could give me no greater gift.
Rwy’n caru ti
, my rose.” He took her face between his hands and kissed her on both cheeks.

“What did that mean?” The feeling that had been behind the words had stirred her almost to tears and she had to know.

“I love you.” He brushed a kiss over her lips and then held her close. “When did you know?”

“When I was being forced to marry the swine Edgar and my aunt tried to stab me and was shot for her troubles.” She watched him slowly pale and he pressed his hand down a little harder on her belly. “All is well, Bened.”

“Were you planning to tell me?”

“Not if you did not wish to stay with me or just stay together, not until you made some decision about it all. I did not wish to be a woman married for what sat in her womb and little else.”

He stroked her hair. “It would never have been that but it was probably wise not to immediately run to me and tell me. I probably would have put my foot in it, said or done something Lilybet calls male idiocy.” He smiled when she laughed. “It was best to wait until I knew what I wanted. Just one thing, I always wanted you but I had the arrogance to think I could decide what was best for you and did not think it should be me.”

“Yes, Lilybet is right. Men can be idiots.” She rested her cheek against his chest. “Simeon is going to have so much trouble with her.”

“Ah, so you saw that too.”

“I have no idea what I was seeing. It could be the rough seeding of a romance, or a true love or of just a truly fine and lasting friendship. That is up to them but she does know very well how to prod Simeon to a temper.”

“Are you content with the child coming so soon?”

“Yes, as long as you do not try to build some huge protective wall around me. I want to help build the nest for our baby. I may not be a healer like the ones you know, but I do know a great deal about healing and since I showed a knack for it while still very young, I also know all about childbirth and the carrying of a child, the good for you and the bad for you. I will be fine but if you start smothering me with watchfulness and protection I will get cross.”

He laughed but was smart enough not to promise anything. “My mother will be pleased.”

“She already has a great many grandchildren.”

“‘Never too many’ is her favorite saying. And if we have a daughter . . .” He laughed and shook his head. “Mother and all the other women in the family will be more than pleased.”

“Which do you want, Bened?”

“I just want our child to be healthy, to live.”

She nodded, rubbing her cheek against his chest. “So do I but I always thought men wanted an heir and since you are now a titled gentleman, I wondered if you had thought on that.”

“I have a great many nephews. Not a direct line to me but one any court in the land would accept.” He gently rolled her onto her back and kissed her belly. “You will soon get round here, our child growing inside you. I will love watching it.”

“I believe talking about how round a woman gets when carrying a child . . .”

“Might be one of those things that will cause me a few bruises?” he teased.

“At the very least.” She murmured with pleasure and burrowed her fingers deep into his thick hair when he began to tease her breasts with soft kisses and long strokes of his tongue.

“I will try to recall that. Lilybet knew.”

“Of course she did. She was touching me when Edgar hit me and I fell. She later assured me that all was fine. Hmmm. She might know what we are having, a boy or a girl. I need to decide if I want to know.”

“What would knowing help you with?”

“Planning for clothing and all that.”

“Ah, I see. I will leave the decision up to you. My mind just freezes on the word.
Child.
I am going to be a father.” He pulled her into an enthusiastic hug.

“You are not one yet?”

“Nay, not that I know of and I would. It is impossible to hide a Wherlocke or Vaughn child from his father, or mother as such is the case. It is in the blood, in the very heart of us and we recognize each other.”

“That must be helpful.” She trailed her fingers down his taut belly and felt it tremble ever so faintly beneath her touch. “So how did ones like Lilybet become lost to your tribe?”

“Our tribe. Hah! I like that. And I have no idea. All we have are some burned or partly burned papers left of a whole family driven into exile or murdered. Getting rid of family records meant they had nothing to take to court. It did not stop the persecutions but it slowed them down. Even when engaged in such horrific persecutions they do love their puzzles. Let us hope Modred and Dob find the answers.”

For awhile they just relaxed in the bed, enjoying the closeness of their bodies with no fear of societal anger or repercussions. Then Primrose curled her long slender fingers around his erection and Bened smiled. Quiet time was over. He turned to his wife, the woman he meant to spend his life with now carrying his first child, and suspected that any quiet times for him ended the day he found a woman with poor eyesight stumbling through the woods looking for her horse.

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