He caressed her left nipple, then moved his tongue around it. Mary Ann moaned loudly but quickly covered her mouth with her palms. Thomas resumed this but this time he did not touch the nipples. Instead, he licked her breast which had almost the same reaction; almost. However, Mary Ann had known the feeling of his tongue around her nipples and she wanted more of it.
She took one of her hands to direct his head but just as she was about to place his mouth of her nipples, he slowly moved it away. When she tried and failed a couple more times, she decided to let Thomas take the lead. During all this, her nipple was still clamped between his fingers. Minutes after Mary Ann had given up, Thomas began to suck her nipples, starting with the one that he had held on to. Mary Ann contracted her body and pinned her lips together with her hands, but this could not stop the moan from coming out in a muffle.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Thomas took the nipple deep into his mouth and sucked at it. Mary Ann seemed to like this so he kept at it while he played with her other breast.
By the time he let go of her breasts, she was already moaning and finding it hard to breathe. He pulled her body downwards, while still keeping hold of her breasts.
Thomas’ desire was unbearable; seeing Mary Ann’s naked figure could do that to any man. Pulling down his pants, he allowed his erection to show. He turned her face to the wall before moving his fingers delicately along her back.
He gently kissed her shoulders causing her to tremble. Thomas took his time on this before pressing part of his bare chest on her back, kissing from her neck to her shoulders.
“Thomas,” she moaned softly. Struggling to keep herself under control, she allowed herself to melt under the wetness of his lips as they savored her skin.
“Oh!”
Still gently pinned under him, Thomas moved downward, kissing her waist before moving back up. The wetness of his tongue left trails. This aroused Mary Ann even more as she began to wiggle her body. The intensity rose as Thomas held on to her bottom, squeezing it gently as he kissed along her waist.
When her eyes beamed with pleasure, Thomas turned her to face her. He placed his hands around her waist as they stared deeply into each other’s eyes. Her gaze was arousing, so when she pulled Thomas close, he obliged. He rested on one hand so as to not crush Mary Ann as he kissed her lower body. Just then, the unexpected happened; the first rooster crowed.
“Thomas, you have to leave or you will be seen here,” she rasped, still holding on to him.
Thomas acted as if he did not hear her at first but stopped as soon as he realized the point she was making. He stood up from the bed and admired Mary Ann’s naked body.
“I will always cherish our moments together,” he told her as he helped her up the bed.
“I too, Thomas. I love you,” she told him as they kissed passionately again.
As much as she was enjoying it, Mary Ann stopped. She must have seen the look in his eyes as she smiled and winked at him.
Thomas adjusted his outfit, putting on his veil again. Just as he reached the door, he turned and handed her the bonnet she had dropped in the garden.
“Thank you. I was beginning to wonder where it went,” she expressed as he left, shutting the door gently behind him.
Thomas’ erection was still present.
A number of his servants were out, but he knew his way around the estate very well. He decided to pass the woods into the stable. When he got to the stable, he was relieved to see that the stable boy had yet to tend to the horses. Without wasting much time, he took the secret passage and in a matter of minutes, he was in his chambers alone with sweet thoughts.
Chapter 24
The walls made Thomas feel trapped. Of all the bad ideas Thomas ever had, there were few that could match up with this daring move. But the time he had with Mary Ann had made him braver. After their lips met, living without her was impossible.
Come now! Where are you? he thought as he tried to reposition himself on the wooden bucket he was sitting on.
After a few days of thinking, he had devised a plan and as dangerous as it was, he didn’t have an ounce of care. He smiled at himself and after a couple of minutes, he stood up.
“Where are you?” he muttered under his breath as he reared his head out of the entrance.
There was no one in the hallway. Silence. But this changed when a faint humming sound caught his ears. He entered into the store room swiftly, using the cover to shield him. The humming was getting closer.
Yes! But when he focused on the sound, he frowned.
Maybe going to her room is not such a bad idea, you’ve done it once, he pondered.
This had been on his mind from the moment he decided to lurk in the store room waiting for her. He knew the scandals he could cause with his presence. Even with this, he did not care. They had been apart far more than he could take and Rebecca was already wearing him down. He had a light frown on his face but quickly countered the thought of Rebecca with a more pleasant one — Mary Ann.
Will she be happy?
But before he could finish evaluating his action, he heard something that changed his mind – Mary Ann’s sweet voice. His chest began to beat fast.
This is it.
His breath hitched as her gentle footsteps approached the room. Smirking, he softly grabbed her arm. Knowing she would scream, he pressed his palm against her mouth, while using his other hand to pull her closer.
“Fear not,” he whispered into her ears.
He noticed her heartbeat return to normal before letting her speak.
“Thomas!” Mary Ann almost screamed out, pinning her body against his as if willing they fuse as one.
She coiled her arms around his neck while Thomas grabbed her by the waist. They stayed that way for a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity.
Thomas closed his eyes, stroking the few strands of hair outside her cap as his mind wandered on. He had undoubtedly missed Mary Ann, but seeing her and having her in his arms had made him realize how much she had missed him. As they stood in each other’s arm, their breathing began to harmonize. As Mary Ann placed her head on his chest, he kissed her hair before she reluctantly pulled away to look into his eyes.
“I’ve missed you,” he let out.
Even in the dark, Thomas could see the smile on her face. Her eyes brightened just as he professed his love. But she did not say anything to him. Just her smile was enough for Thomas to know how she felt. Mary Ann moved closer again and without missing a beat, she laid a kiss on his lips.
Thomas in turn bent his torso so she could be at ease. He pulled her closer before moving his hands to her bottom. From there, Thomas lifted her from the ground as if she weighed nothing. Slowly, so as not to disturb anything where they were, Thomas spun her around until he was able to pin her to the cold wall. They let go of each other’s lips shortly after.
“I know coming in here in here is a bit rash but I do not think I could hold it much longer,” he let out.
“I know Thomas, I as well.” There was sincerity in her tone and they kissed.
Thomas spun his tongue in her mouth and she surrendered hers too. He sucked at it as he fondled her bottom. A short while after, she pulled away.
“I have to work,” Mary Ann said with a frown.
Even though Thomas knew them parting ways was inevitable, he did not want it to end. He gently put her down, with his hand still holding hers and his eyes fixed on her.
“Your radiant beauty is one that I do not want to take my eyes off,” he let out.
Mary Ann blushed, pulling her dress downward to cover her knees.
“I will always love you and being apart is like having a stake in my heart,” Mary Ann finally replied then looked into deep into his eyes.
“What is wrong?” she questioned sounding worried.
She must have caught the glimpse of worry in his eyes. Thomas thought about not telling her what was on his mind but he decided against that.
“It is Reb
ecca. She has been acting strange,” he told her.
“Hasn’t she been like that since her arrival?”
With the big gloom on his face, she also was becoming more concerned.
“Yes, I know,” Thomas gave a mild grin that disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, “But this is different. Whenever I ask about her family business, she would do anything to change what we are talking about. I have attempted different ways but to no avail and I am suspicious.”
Mary Ann took a while to respond. When she did, she agreed that the Egertones might be hiding something so she offered to be of help by looking into her room.
“No, I would not allow you to do that,” Thomas protested but Mary Ann who was also strong headed tried to get him on her side.
“Think about it. I am a servant here, which allows me to be anywhere for my chores. I can sneak into her room and look around to see if I can find anything.”
Thomas thought about it for a moment before reluctantly agreeing. Although he could clearly see what she meant, he did not want her in harm’s way for any reason, let alone his.
“Do not put on that sad face now. I will be fine,” Mary Ann told him lightly as she hugged him again.
He returned this and they stayed that way for a few minutes before letting each other go.
“Thank you,” Thomas appreciated, “You mean the world to me, Mary Ann.”
“You mean the world to me too.”
Thomas hugged her again, not caring that his erection was pressing against Mary Ann’s waist. In an unusual way, he loved it. They let go of each other for the last time before Mary Ann pulled him down by the neck to kiss him on the cheek. Her warm lips sent chills all over him. He stood still, watching Mary Ann pack all she needed for her chores.
“By tomorrow, we will know what exactly she is hiding,” she turned to say.
And I cannot wait, Thomas wanted to say but all he did was smile and wonder how lucky he was to have Mary Ann by his side.
He stayed in the store room for a couple of minutes after she left before peering out to see if anyone was coming. Luckily for him the hallway was still empty. He brushed off the dirt on his body before leaving the storeroom. He had wanted to take the secret passage but decided against it. Instead, he walked through the hallway, hoping he could catch another glimpse of Mary Ann.
Crouched to the ground as she scrubbed the floor, he could hear her hum the same song as she worked. Her eyes raised to meet that of Thomas and she gave a mild grin barely visible to anyone but him. Just as she bent, Thomas caught sight of her cleavage, the light from the candle illuminating it. Even though her dress was the perfect size, the position she was in revealed portions of her breast. It made it seem as if they were finding their way to breathe just above the opening of the dress. Thomas thought of holding her, and laying kisses down to her nipples but then Mary Ann hit the abrasive material in her hard on the ground, drawing Thomas back to life.
He looked at her, winked then left without saying a word. Just as he left, his spirit dampened with every step he took away from her. Slowly, the thought of what he would do before sunset, clouded his once-happy mind. He opened his door unenthusiastically and laid on his bed. He couldn’t stop thinking about Rebecca and how much she was bent on making his life miserable with her impetuous demands and cunning way of getting what she wanted.
She had asked for a lesson of his family history during one of their dinners with his family. Before Thomas could utter a word, his mother had joyfully agreed on his behalf. He stood from his bed and started pacing relentlessly thinking of ways to avoid spending his day with Rebecca.
Perhaps I should pretend to be ill? He didn’t follow through with the thought as he feared she might use that as a mean of getting closer to him.
He heard a gentle tap on the door and it startled him. He did not say a word until the door creaked opened with James coming in; face bent to the ground.
“Your bath is ready, Your Grace,” he told him after exchanging pleasantries.
“Wonderful!” Thomas exclaimed joyously.
“Lady Rebecca wishes to pass along a message, Your Grace. She says to remind you of your promise.”
Thomas stopped in his spot then smiled at James.
Well, a deal is a deal, I suppose.
He undressed and went into the tub thinking once again of his encounter with Mary Ann. How serene his mind got anytime they were together.
“It is nice of you to join us,” Rebecca greeted as she stood on her feet to welcome Thomas to the large table.
She was wearing a blue dress with its bulging sleeves clinging to her arms. Her hair had been remade from the last time Thomas had seen it, which was at dinner the previous day. A sign she had been to the salon. Her hair was parked on her head with a beautiful hair clip holding it gracefully. Even though Thomas was not in any way flattered by what he saw, he knew and understood beauty. He somewhat applauded the coiffurist for her art.
“Do you like my hair?” Rebecca asked touching it lightly.
“It is hard not to like the beautiful art of a true artist,” he commended.
Thomas greeted his mother who had already started eating. He joined them and they started devouring their food quietly. This went on for about half an hour, which Thomas was grateful for before Rebecca turned toward him.
“Is everything all right, Your Grace?” she questioned.
This seemed to catch everyone off guard.
“I do not seem to understand the question,” he wiped his hand with a piece of cloth before turning his full attention to her.
“You seem to be a little tired as if you have been losing sleep,” she explained loud enough to make it seem like an accusation more than concern.
“No. I am afraid you thought wrong,” he responded after a short while of looking at his mother then Lady Rebecca.
“It seems so,” she uttered pursing her lips before speaking again. “I am happy that you feel well as I would not want you to be ill while taking me through your family’s history after breakfast.”
Thomas’ eyes widened in anger. He had wondered if losing a few hours of sleep would have been easy to spot but did not argue as she was right. Now, he knew the true reason she had said that.
How conniving!
After breakfast his mother waited at the table briefly before leaving them to commence the lesson. When they were gone, Thomas’ expression changed from a smile to an indifferent look.
“Before we start, I would like to say this,” he paused, looking at Rebecca who was moving her bare shoulders back and forth like she did when enjoying something. “There is not much to talk about. You should not be disappointed when this ends quicker than you expect.”
She stopped moving for a second then smiled at him as she rose to her feet.
“Fair warning,” she declared stretching her hand to Thomas.
“Fair warning,” Thomas repeated, ignoring her hand as he stood up and walked past Rebecca.
James was also close by when Thomas stopped.
“We commence our lesson from here, Your Grace,” he told Rebecca who was still standing still.
She walked gracefully with a smirk to where Thomas was and he started telling her about his family, in the briefest way possible. Their first stop was at his gallery where there was a painting of his family tree by a painter whom his family had been a patron to for decades. She studied every branch and asked questions about almost all of the members of his family. When she was satisfied, she turned and to say something completely out of place
“You should let me look into your ledger,” Rebecca suggested in her usual intrusive and coaxing tone.
“I don’t think—”
“Your Grace, this is going to be our business very soon. I think it would be better for me to know everything there is to know before the wedding,” she added having seen the quizzed look on his face.
Since the time his betrothal to Rebecca had been announced, Thomas knew it was purely busin
ess. But seeing her ask about their financial standing at every turn made him even more suspicious.
“You do know you cannot always get what you want by pointing out we will be married soon?” Thomas asked, still wondering why she was so concerned about seeing their ledger.
“Of course, I would just like to see how much money you spend and make. That will keep me assured,” she giggled as she walked closer to Thomas.
“That is not something a lady such as yourself should worry about. If it is that important, I shall take it up with your father,” he fired back.
A Fiery Duchess for the Dashing Duke: A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 19
