She wriggled on him, and the groan that came from deep in his throat made her feel more alive, more of a woman than she’d allowed herself to feel for years. “I’ll have to experiment some more to be sure.” She settled herself on him, trying to find a more comfortable position.
“Stop that.” His eyes flew open. “God, please stop.”
She blinked at him. “That’s what I usually say. But you can’t possibly want me to stop this.”
“Not ‘this.’ That. Moving around. It’s just enough motion to . . . make me insane.”
“Is it?” She wiggled some more. “How about that?”
“Don’t torture me, my sweet. I can’t bear it.”
“I’m not trying to torture you. I just really don’t know what to do.”
“Right. Of course.” He was breathing hard, his eyes heavy-lidded. “Try . . . moving up and down.”
Up and down? Remembering how the Vile Seducer had driven into her, she realized that this would be that in reverse, with her controlling the motion. How intriguing.
“Please,” he rasped. “Before I go out of my mind.”
“All right,” she said, and came up, then slid down.
His fingers dropped to grip her hips. “Yes, sweetheart, yes. Again.”
“For a man at my mercy, you are very demanding,” she said with a sniff, but did what he asked.
This time, he gave a low moan of pure pleasure. It was quite rewarding. And the up-and-down motion felt good to her, too. Rather enjoyable. So she did it again. And again.
It got easier each time. And when he began to finger her down where they were joined, she felt that quick leap of sensation she’d felt when he’d had his mouth on her in the carriage. “Oh, Edwin . . . oh my . . .”
He kissed her then, deeply, fiercely. He’d begun thrusting up inside her, too, but she rather liked that. It gave her an idea of the proper rhythm. And when he bumped her a certain way . . . it was glorious. Absolutely glorious.
Heavens. This wasn’t what she’d expected at all. No pain . . . no fear. Just Edwin beneath her, undulating into her, making her want to devour him, to engulf him, to show him she truly was his bride. His woman. His wife.
“You’re mine . . . now . . . Edwin Barlow,” she said as she clutched at his shoulders, riding him faster, harder. “My husband. For always.”
“My wife,” he choked out, his face alight. “Forever.”
It had the sound of a vow. And now that rushing feeling was building down low in her belly, and her fingernails dug into his shoulders and she felt as if she were hurtling across the grounds on horseback, neck-or-nothing . . . heading for the biggest jump of them all. The one that would take her into the heavens . . . glittering there . . . just beyond her reach . . .
“Yes . . . more . . .” she cried as their motions reached a fever pitch. “Yes, my darling, yes!”
He drove up and spilled himself inside her. “Clarissa . . . My Clarissa!”
Mine.
With that exultant thought, she shot over the moon and into the stars.
It took some time for Edwin to come to his senses, especially with his lovely wife draped luxuriously over him.
That was amazing. She was amazing. And he couldn’t believe he’d finally made her his. Thank God it hadn’t taken a year; he never would have lasted that long. He’d have had to go live with monks for a while.
He nuzzled her hair, which had tumbled down rather spectacularly in the midst of their frenzy. It smelled of lilacs and lavender. So very sweet.
“It’s getting dark outside,” Clarissa murmured.
She was in a position to see out the window behind him. Fortunately, none of the servants went into the garden at this time of the day. They were too busy preparing for dinner.
Still . . . “It won’t be long before we can be seen easily from the garden. Unless one of us gets up to blow out the candle.”
She drew back to flash him a sultry smile. “Is that a hint that I should move? Am I too heavy for you?”
“Hardly.” He lifted her off of him. “Though you’re heavier than I would have expected for such a small woman.” When she laughed, he realized that he probably shouldn’t have been quite that honest. “I mean . . .”
“Don’t mince words with me,” she said as he rose. “You’re probably the only man I know who would have been as understanding of my . . . difficulties as you were. Besides, I’ll take your bluntness any day over a lot of insincere compliments.”
“Glad to hear it. Because clearly I am very bad at them.”
She chuckled. Curling up into a ball on the window seat, she watched as he went over to the desk fully naked. “You’re a very handsome man, Lord Blakeborough. And I am being utterly sincere.”
He snuffed the candle. “Keep saying things like that, Lady Blakeborough, and I’ll be wanting to ravish you again.”
She fell quiet. As he realized what he’d said, he shot her a concerned glance, but she wore a dreamy look. “It’s a pity it wasn’t you seducing me in that orangery years ago.”