The Heiress Hunt

by Joanna Shupe

  He laved at her, tasting the wetness gathered at her entrance, then working his way to the tiny bundle of nerves atop her sex. Lust rolled over her in waves, building, doubling and tripling, until she was panting, her head thrashing on the divan. It was both too much and not enough. Then he sucked the bud into his mouth, nursing and flicking it with his tongue, and her body drew as tight as a wire, her blood thrumming with indescribable sensation.

  Her nails clawed at the fabric, muscles clenching as he pushed her higher, his mouth unrelenting, giving and giving until the crest was upon her. The climax ripped through her lower half, her mouth hanging open as a long moan escaped her throat. It went on and on, an explosion of white sparks that popped and shimmered under her skin.

  When she finally came down the other side, he eased up, still gently licking as if savoring her. His eyes traveled the length of her body, until he met her gaze, his blue depths bright with lust. “Did you like that?” he murmured.

  She nodded, unsure she could form words just yet.

  “Good. Then let me do it again.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Harrison could not believe his excellent fortune. The woman he’d wanted forever—now his wife—was here, nearly naked before him, the taste of her arousal bursting on his tongue. Even failing to ruin his family, he could die a happy man.

  The woman was gorgeous. Long limbs toned from exercise, soft skin and high round breasts that begged for his mouth and hands. She hadn’t been shy, either. It was clear she hadn’t much experience, but she didn’t hide from him. Trusted him to show her pleasure. She was a goddamn gift, one he would never take for granted.

  He continued to taste her, reveling in her body’s response to his mouth. She had climaxed quickly, beautifully, leaving her limp and her cunt wet, and he couldn’t wait to repeat it.

  “Again?” she breathed, coming up on her elbows. Her gaze was slightly unfocused and he had to bite back a smile.

  “Yes, my delicious wife. Again.”

  She shuddered, her chest heaving as she watched his mouth and tongue lick and suck, nip and kiss between her legs. It was his very favorite part of a woman’s body, so delicious and ripe, so full of secrets. He hoped Maddie never tired of allowing him to give her orgasms with his mouth.

  Her clitoris was swollen and sensitive from her last climax, so he concentrated on her entrance and her lips, lapping gently. Taking one finger, he slid it partway inside her channel, nearly groaning at the feel of the tight warm clasp. His cock was painfully hard, and it jumped at the idea of sinking into all that snug heat.

  Not yet. He wanted her ready. More than ready. Begging, actually. And it didn’t need to happen tonight. While he was dying to get inside her, they had years of fucking ahead of them. Months and days and hours of teasing each other, exploring, playing . . . just being together. If she needed time to come to terms with the physical side of their relationship, he didn’t mind. Eventually, she would crave this as much as he did.

  “Oh, God. Harrison.”

  She rocked her hips, pushing his finger in deeper, and he groaned into her skin. There was every chance he might spend in his trousers, like a lad, if she kept that up.

  He left his finger inside, letting her adjust to the feeling, while he lightly circled her clitoris with his tongue. One of her hands found its way onto his head, holding him in place as he teased her. It didn’t take long until she was writhing beneath him, and he increased the pressure of his mouth just before inserting a second finger. A tight squeeze, but she accepted the added width after two pumps of his hand.

  “I’m ready,” she breathed, her nails digging into his scalp. “Please, Harrison. I’m ready.”

  He said nothing, just continued to work his fingers in and out of her channel as he laved at her. When her thighs began to quiver, he nursed on the bud of her sex, determined to drive her over the edge once more.

  She jerked on his hair and he lifted his head. Wild eyes stared at him. “Now, please. I need you now.”

  “We don’t need to do more than this tonight. Relax and let me make you feel good.”

  That got her attention. “You don’t want to do more than this?”

  “Of course I do.” He was so hard, the skin of his cock stretched so tight that it was actually painful. “But I can wait until you are ready.”

  “I just told you I was ready.”

  He laid his head on her thigh and smiled at her, his fingers continuing to work in and out of her body. “You’re not ready, sweetheart.”

  A flash of annoyance crossed her face before she blinked at him. “What?”

  “Mads, as of twenty minutes ago, you implied you would strangle me if I touched you tonight. Trust me, you are not ready.”

  “But you’re touching me now.”

  He bent to suck on her clitoris, and she gasped in the most appealing fashion. He smiled. “I am most definitely touching you.”

  “You are being deliberately obtuse.”

  “And if you can still speak in complete sentences, then I am not performing my husbandly duties properly.” He curled his fingers inside her, rubbing the spongy tissue on the upper wall of her vagina. Maddie’s entire body twitched and she let out a hoarse cry. He gave her a long lick in appreciation.

  “Harrison, stop. Get undressed. I need you now.”

  So commanding. He loved it. Still, he ignored her. Instead, he tried another finger, rewarded when her body accommodated the thickness. How many orgasms could he give her tonight? Four?

  All of a sudden, she pushed his head away and struggled to sit up. He frowned at her. “Where are you going?”

  “You are not listening to me.” She yanked one suspender off his shoulder, then reached for the other. “Clothes off.”

  Chuckling, he stilled her hand. “I love your enthusiasm but—”

  “Stop laughing. This isn’t a game.”

  He softened his tone. “There is no rush. We have a lifetime to enjoy one another.”

  “Now there is no rush?” Her lips flattened, eyes flashing. “You infuriating man. Hurry up. I want a real wedding night.”

  That caught him by surprise. “You do?”

  “Yes, I do.” She shoved the other suspender down, then began unbuttoning his trousers.

  My God. She was serious. His erection throbbed, desperate for her, and he found himself standing and quickly shedding his clothes before he even realized what was happening. While he removed his shirt, she opened the placket of his trousers and slid her hand inside. Warm pressure closed over his cock and his knees buckled as lust exploded in his groin. Cursing, he closed his eyes.

  “I don’t know, Harrison,” she cooed. “You don’t feel quite ready to me.”

  A strangled sound left his throat as he removed her hand. “If I am any more ready, I will spend before we even begin. Take off your drawers.”

  She did as he asked, untying and sliding off her drawers and stockings as he removed his union suit and socks. When he was naked, he let her look her fill.

  Her gaze lingered on his erection. “Are you sure you used enough fingers?”

  Cool air kissed the heated skin of his cock and he couldn’t resist stroking it. Each pass of his hand was excruciating bliss and delicious torture. “No, probably not. But we may do all manner of other things besides fucking.”

  Delicate brows shot up at the word. “You have a wicked mouth, Harrison Archer.”

  “I think you like it. In fact”—he tipped his chin toward her cunt—“I know you like it.”

  She reclined on the divan, all feminine grace and supple skin, and he hardly knew where to start. He wanted to touch and kiss her everywhere. When she parted her thighs, he could hardly draw air into his lungs.

  He hoped this wasn’t something he’d regret later, but he was starving for her. And she wanted a proper wedding night. He had to make this as comfortable for her as possible.

  Slipping his hands under her back and behind her knees, he lifted her just enough to slide
underneath her body. Then he twisted her so she straddled him, her core on top of his shaft. She was hot and wet, and the proximity to that tight heaven was almost too much to bear.

  She put her hands on his stomach. “I don’t understand. Won’t it be harder for you to take my virginity this way?”

  “It’s not mine to take, it’s yours to give.” With a hand on her hip, he raised her slightly and placed his tip at her entrance. “Lower yourself down at whatever pace you need. It’ll hurt less this way.” He didn’t actually know this as fact, as he’d never fucked a virgin before, but the general physics of it made sense.

  “Oh.” Biting her lip, she wriggled a bit, and Harrison actually thought he might die as the fat head of his cock worked its way inside her channel. This was so much better than he’d imagined . . . and he’d imagined it plenty over the years. Impossible to think he would last.

  He ground his teeth together, struggling to hold out. “And if you change your mind, we can stop.”

  “I won’t change my mind.”

  She sounded determined, but the first time was more difficult for women. Licking his thumb, he pressed it to her clitoris and began rubbing her, hoping to relax and excite her. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, moving his other hand to her breast. “I loved putting my mouth between your legs.”

  Moaning, she slid down, taking more of him inside. He continued to talk to her, praising her, and it went on like this for several long moments, her pussy squeezing his cock like a fist the entire time. He performed square root calculations in his head so as to not come too quickly.

  “It feels good,” she said, her voice full of wonder, as if the fact surprised her.

  He clenched his muscles, trying not to thrust upward until she was ready. “I’m glad, sweetheart.” His thumb kept working the nub atop her sex, his other fingers teasing her nipple, and she rocked her hips, chasing the pleasure.

  Inch by torturous inch he tunneled deeper, her body sucking him inside. Her arousal coated his cock, the most provocative sight he’d ever seen. When she bottomed out on his erection, she was panting, her eyes wide. “Now what?”

  “Now you move.”

  There hadn’t been pain. Maddie could hardly believe it. Pressure, and perhaps a slight pinch, but that was all. And now Harrison was seated inside her body, the two of them joined in the most basic and elemental way, her first and only lover. Her husband. The way he stared at her, as if she were the moon and stars and peppermint ice cream all rolled into one, made her relax.

  And what he was doing with his hands had her squirming for more.

  “Move, Mads,” he said again. “Do what feels good.”

  “All of it feels good.”

  He let out a rough laugh. “I am dying for friction. Please, have mercy.”

  Ah. She lifted up, until he was barely inside, and then sank back down. Harrison’s eyes screwed shut, his face carved in torturous angles. “That’s it,” he groaned.

  She continued to roll her hips, Harrison stretched out beneath her, his arms clenched at his sides as if struggling for control. He was absolutely gorgeous, from the hollow at the base of his throat to the strong chest with its light dusting of dark hair and flat nipples. Muscles and sinew sculpted his frame, one that had filled out since college. She hadn’t seen him shirtless in years, but she’d never dreamed he would look this appealing as a grown man.

  He grabbed her hips with both hands and began rocking her, pressing her down into his pelvis. Her clitoris dragged over his pubic bone and sparks shot down her legs, through her womb, on every pass. Pleasure built as her muscles tightened, and she began helping him, grinding down, moving faster, chasing the peak just out of reach. He shoved up on an elbow and wrapped his lips around her nipple, sucking hard, laving with his tongue, and she could feel the answering tug between her legs. Bliss crashed over her, the orgasm swift and slightly less intense than before, but no less enjoyable. She cried out, her nails digging into his stomach as he rode it out with her.

  “Oh, God. Hurry, Maddie.”

  His plea sounded far away, her brain still spinning and sparkling. Then, before she’d stopped twitching, he angled her higher, brought his knees up and began thrusting from below. She held on, her breasts bouncing with every rough slap of his body, watching his handsome face as it twisted, grimaced, snarled . . . until he quickly moved her aside, his hand flying over his shaft as he pumped and squeezed. Jets of spend erupted from the tip and onto his stomach as the carriage house echoed with his shouts.

  When he slowed, she collapsed at his side, partially draped atop him as she tried to catch her breath. He released his shaft and closed his eyes, his chest heaving. There was no hint of his thoughts on his face. Was he regretting that she’d talked him into this?

  “I’m not sorry,” she said.

  He blinked a few times before meeting her gaze. “What would you be sorry about?”

  “About demanding a wedding night.”

  The edges of his mouth curled up. “I am not complaining. I just need some time to recover.”

  She took in his lithe limbs, the softening penis between his legs. The area between her own legs pulsed with swollen contentment. “I hadn’t expected you to be so proficient at this.”

  “Only because it’s you. It’s not always like this.”

  “It’s not?”

  He let out a strangled sound. “No, never. It’s usually good but . . .”

  “But?”

  Pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, he said quietly, “It’s amazing because it’s you and me. Together.”

  Warmth bloomed in her chest and wrapped around her heart like vines. She wasn’t used to this tender and honest side of him. “You’re very sweet for a man who put slugs in my shoe as a boy.”

  A slow grin spread across his face. “Once. I did that once. And you deserved it.”

  Sitting up, he reached for his undergarment, then used it as a cloth to wipe away the traces of his orgasm. “Too bad we aren’t at the chateau. We could go swim in the ocean to clean off.”

  The idea appealed, but she wondered over the inspiration. “Was that something you did in France? Nude bathing in the Seine?”

  “No. I’d be too afraid of what’s floating in there.”

  He didn’t elaborate and her curiosity got the better of her. “I want to hear about your life in Paris.”

  “I’ll tell you anything you wish to know once I have you in the bath. Shall we go in now?”

  His frown made it clear that he dreaded walking back into the Archer house. “I think we should sleep out here.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. We don’t have blankets or pillows, let alone running water. You’ll be miserable.”

  “I don’t want to force you to spend the night in there.”

  Bending, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “You’re not forcing me to do anything. Help me make new memories in there to replace the old ones.”

  It was impossible to argue with that logic. They gathered their clothing, donning only what was necessary for a mad dash back to the cottage. Harrison also grabbed the cold champagne bottle before dousing the lights in the carriage house.

  He took her hand and led her through the house, which smelled of lemon polish. The cottage must have been closed before Harrison had it opened for their wedding night. She wondered if his mother planned to come out for the summer this year. Maddie did not anticipate sharing meals and holidays with her new mother-in-law.

  Perhaps she and Harrison would move to Paris, far away from the Archers. Hadn’t he said he wished to return?

  Another matter we must discuss.

  Though it was empty, the mood in the house was somber, with its dark woods and lack of personal touches. No flowers or family paintings. No silhouettes or photographs. When his father had been alive, anyone in the house had to walk softly and speak in whispers so as to not disturb him. It had been a depressing place to visit.

  They ended up in Harrison’s
smaller chambers. Thomas had been given the bigger room between the boys, but Harrison claimed not to mind. His room had a large oak tree near the window, with a branch he’d used as a means of escape.

  He dropped her hand but continued to the washroom. The water started running as she wandered around the bedchamber, curious to see if bits of the old Harrison were still here. The wardrobe held the clothing the staff had just unpacked and the mantel was bare, with no books or knickknacks. There was a side table by the bed with a single drawer. She peeked inside and saw a handful of items stuffed in there . . . including a very specific old coin. It was the one she found on the beach years ago and gave to Harrison for his sixteenth birthday.

  He’d kept it all this time.

  Smiling, she picked up the small metal piece and carried it into the washroom. He was fiddling with the taps on the claw-foot tub, but turned at her approach. “Water’s taking forever to get hot.”

  She held out the coin. “You saved it.”

  “Of course I did. Best birthday present I ever received.”

  “I didn’t think you even liked it.”

  “Maddie, a sixteen-year-old boy cannot show a girl how much she means to him. It would be embarrassing.”

  “Is this back to you wanting me even then?”

  “Yes. Does that make you uncomfortable?”

  “No, but I can’t believe I never knew. Why didn’t you say anything at the time?”

  He scratched his jaw, then busied himself with the water. The temperature must have been to his liking because he stood and started removing the little clothing he had on. “Let’s get clean and we’ll talk. All right?”

  “So you’ll bathe first?”

  A devious smile twisted his lips. “We’ll bathe together.”

  “In that tiny tub?”

  “You’ll see. Just get undressed, Mads.”

  He sank down into the water, causing some to slosh out of the tub and onto the tile floor. As she stripped off her things, he watched her avidly, not even pretending to give her privacy. So strange to have a husband now, a man who had seen her naked. Had been inside her body. Had licked and kissed her everywhere. Her life had changed in an instant . . . and yet this felt right.