"I do believe this is one of your more brilliant schemes," Cross whispered as he hungrily took her lips, nipping and tasting them.
"I do believe leaving early was one of your more brilliant schemes!" she teased. She continued to kiss him, and Cross growled as her velvet tongue danced with his.
As soon as the carriage arrived at his newly leased townhome in Mayfair, Cross wasted no time in pulling his wife into his arms and heading directly to the master bedroom. Her perfectly curved frame was a welcome weight as he shifted her slightly so that he could open the door to their wedding bower. The warming crackle of the fire in the hearth welcomed them as he kicked the door closed with his boot. Essie giggled as he nuzzled her neck with his nose, encouraging her to tilt her head just enough to so that he could taste the sensitive flesh at her throat. She willingly obliged, offering him full access.
It was heaven.
And it was only the beginning.
He kissed her once more, savoring the moment, allowing the anticipation to build up into the moment. Gently, he lowered her to the ground till her dainty feet touched the floor. She turned to face him, lifting her gaze to meet his; her dark lashes framed her eyes, a thick haze of desire swirling in them. He lifted his hand to cradle her face and gently leaning forward, he pressed his lips to hers, sweetly.
The passion he felt for her was threatening to burn him to ashes from within, but he wouldn't allow his own impatience, his primal desire to brand her as his own, overtake the need to ease her into their intimacy.
Essie's hands traced up his chest and slowly reached up under his coat, coaxing him to relax his shoulders so that she could remove it. Her hands trailed fire where ever they touched, setting him further aflame. Once his coat was discarded, Cross took her lips with the passion of a man drinking in the one he loves, while his hands reached up and began to tug at her pins. Essie broke away as she giggled slightly.
"Allow me." She bit her lip as she slowly pushed him backwards till he was sitting on the bed. He tugged on her hand, trying to pull her to the bed as well, but she teasingly ducked out of reach, winking.
Cross watched, transfixed, as Essie blushed but began to remove her pins slowly.
Seductively.
With each pin that dropped to the floor, Cross held tighter to the bed till his knuckles were white with restraint. Then at last, her hair, the golden flaxen colored temptation, flowed free and she ran her fingers through it, loosening it. It hung the length of her back, surrounding her in a halo of light.
Cross started to stand, and she crooked her finger, beckoning him to come to her. Closed the distance between them, only to have her turn and present her back.
"Please?" She asked.
Cross's gaze dropped to her dress, seeing the sash that secured the Grecian style dress she wore. He tugged it loose and trailed his fingers across her shoulders, removing the dress from her shoulders. Kissing the exposed flesh, he grinned as he heard Essie's sharp intake of breath. Deftly, he removed the dress till it pooled at her feet in a whisper of silk. He reached his hand around her waist and grasped her hand, pulled her back into the frame of his body, he tugged her gloves, removing them and tossing them aside. He trailed warm, possessive kisses down the side of her neck and down her back to where her corset strings awaited his attention.
Tugging them free, he helped her to free herself from the final restraint, from the final barrier between them. Her arms instinctively covered herself.
"I do believe it's your turn," Essie whispered as she turned in the circle of his arms, reaching up to kiss him, lingeringly.
"As you wish." Cross wasted no time in removing his shirt and breeches, feeling a swell of pride as her eyes raked his body, her breathing growing rapid. Her eyes roamed him as he stood before her in all his glory.
As she stood before him in all of hers.
But the time of exploration had only begun, and Cross strode towards her, capturing her lips in an explosion of passion as he ran his fingers over the bare flesh of her back, savoring the sensation of no barriers between them. Essie followed his lead towards the bed till his knees encountered the edge of the mattress. Swiftly and with lethal grace, he swept her into his arms and lowered her onto the bed, savoring her warm and welcoming flesh as she welcomed his weight.
And he made sure Essie was marked forever his.
Essie awoke in a cocoon of warmth as her husband's arms banded around her, holding her possessively as she awoke from their night of love. His warm breath tickled her shoulder, causing her to smile with utter joy. Surely there was no more beautiful expression of love than they'd shared last night. Yet, she knew instinctively, it was the security, the knowledge of Cross's love and devotion to her that made it as… powerful as it still was. There was no fear, no trepidation, only unbridled desire and the precious lack of restraint that was only found in the security of bearing her husband's name.