At some point, one of her hands had begun to roam again, and its explorations divided his attention between the kiss and the trails of lust those fingers left in their wake. They shot right to his—
Her lithe fingers wrapped around his cock.
“Damn it, Maggie!” he gasped.
“You like it?” She bit her bottom lip, swollen from their festival of kisses.
He nodded.
Her grip tightened.
He closed his eyes and threw his head back with a groan. “‘Though she be but little, she is fierce.’”
“I like that. What is it from? Tell me later.” She trailed her finger along the length of his member.
He almost cursed again. Instead, he spoke a blessing into her sweet mouth and cupped his hand around her hot middle. She arched into his caress, so he slipped a finger, two, inside of her. She stilled, and he waited. When she arched against his hand again, he removed it.
“No,” she gasped, pulling him to her.
“Shh.” He kissed her, then entered her slowly, allowing her body time to grow and get used to him before pushing more. With each push, she stilled, then after a pause, wiggled beneath him. “Is thatit?” she said. And he answered her with another small thrust forward until she had taken him fully inside.
He nuzzled her neck, placing tiny, heated kisses on every flushed spot of her skin. She clung to him, arms wrapped tight around his shoulders. When she arched her hips up, he began to move, teaching her to move with him. She learned quickly. They rode the wave of pleasure building inside them, and every time her breath shortened, he slowed until her fingernails dug into his back.
“Please,” she said. “Please, Tobias.”
He increased his speed and lifted his head to look at his wife as he thrust into her. Her closed eyelids fluttered, her cheeks flushed red as apples, and her mouth opened in an O of pleasure. Her writhing beneath him changed. Every muscle in her body clenched, then unclenched, and again, before her eyes flew open, bright as jewels.
Watching her come beneath him changed him. Had he ever been a laconic wit? Now he was a marauding beast whose thirst could be quenched by one woman alone, she who trembled beneath him, moaning his name.
He lost all control as pleasure fiercer than he’d ever felt before rolled through him. He threw back his head and roared, and when he collapsed on top of her, her body still shook.
He felt heavy and sated.
And happy. More than all else, more than ever before, he felt happy.
Chapter 19
Tobias stared at the flurry of fabric squares on his desk and sighed as if they were letters from a lost lover. “You’re all hideous, and I should love you all, but I’m afraid I just can’t muster the energy today.” He pulled a leaf of paper from a drawer, swept the squares off the desk, and began a letter.
Mr. Crabbe,
Each one is brighter than the one before, but I can make no decision. I find, for the first time in years, I’m in no mood to make a gaudy splash. Can you send me … I’m afraid to ask, you’ll think me mad … a few sedate colors? Like navy. Or brown. Or merlot. Merlot is, perhaps, a touch too colorful for my current mood. But I’ll try it out. And no, all my relatives are still live and hearty, even my grandfather, and no one knows quite how old he is. Very. But how very is the question.
Send an answer to that, if you have one, along with the requested fabrics.
Mr. Tobias Blake
Mr. Crabbe would send the fabric swatches and no more. He was the least talkative person Tobias knew, which was exactly why Tobias loved to gab his ear off in person or in epistle.
He leaned back in his chair, propped his boots on his desk, and frowned at the fabric. Ever since he’d taken on the role of Tobias Blake the Fop, he’d never had a problem dressing the part.
But now … now the colors made him itch. He felt like a child playing pretend.
A knock on the door.
“Come in!”
Maggie strode through the door, purpose in her walk. He’d missed her, though he’d seen her just that morning, held her in his arms all night long. Seeing her now, his heart grinned. Was that possible? Had to be. It was exactly how he felt. His heartgrinned. Married almost a full week, and the elation he’d felt their first night together had yet to subside. “Hello, Mags.” He stood and hurried around the desk, taking her shoulders in his hands and guiding her across the room. “I’m so glad you’ve come. I’ve always wanted to introduce you to Sebastian, and he’s quite cranky I’ve not done so yet.” He stopped them in front of the stuffed bear’s head mounted high on the wall. “Lady Magnificent, meet Mr. Sebastian Bear. Seb, this is Maggie.”
