He was all hard planes and unleashed power, and the raw strength of him fascinated her, calling to her curiosity and simmering passion.
She reached for him the same moment he reached for her. Smiling, they touched each other’s faces, then Sebastian gently moved her hand away. “It’s my turn to pleasure you,” he insisted, brushing his fingers lightly over the hardened peaks of her nipples.
She moaned with delight when he dipped his head and drew one nipple into his mouth, the piercing sweetness flowing through her. Eleanor shivered and gasped as he suckled her, cradling his head to her chest, her hands tightening in his hair.
Her breathing became quick and shallow as he slid his hand down her belly and between her thighs. She could feel herself becoming lusciously wet as he deepened his touch, stroking her back and forth with the tip of his fingers.
The hunger continued to build inside her and she moaned his name, moving her legs restlessly, her hands running frantically from his back to his buttocks, then back up again. “Please,” she murmured, her voice a ragged sob. “Oh, please, Sebastian …”
“Tell me you want me, Eleanor,” he whispered, as he moved above her. “Tell me, sweetheart.”
“I crave you. Only you. I want you inside me, my love.” Eleanor lifted her arms to embrace him, welcome him. His knee came between her thighs, pressing her legs wide apart. She could feel him position himself at her opening and then he eased the head of his penis into her wet moisture.
Gasping at the sensation, Eleanor clutched his back nervously as he pushed deeper. She felt stretched and filled and aching. Not precisely in pain, but the edge of her passion was inexplicably starting to recede.
“Sebastian?”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. There’s no help for it,” he murmured.
She heard his words through the thunderous rushing of desire and confusion rumbling in her ears. He entered her fully, pushing deeper, harder. For an instant she couldn’t breathe, her body tensing with anticipation of the unknown and then he thrust his hips forcefully.
She screamed at the sudden, sharp pain, but he was ready for it, his mouth dipping over hers, capturing the sound. Then he stayed perfectly still.
Eleanor opened her eyes. Sebastian was braced above her on his forearms, looking down into her face. His eyes were dark with passion and concern, the intensity searing her very soul.
“I’ll wait a moment until you become accustomed to the feel of me,” he promised, kissing the tip of her nose.
She smiled. “Sebastian, if we do this for the next fifty years, and I fervently hope that we shall, I will never feel accustomed to it.”
With that said, Eleanor’s body warmed, the tightness inside her relaxed. Tentatively she rocked her hips, relieved to find the pain was no longer as sharp, the pleasure still an unfulfilled promise. She heard him groan and he rested his head against her chest for a moment, clearly fighting for control.
“Are you trying to kill me, ma’am, or is that just an unfortunate side effect?” he groaned.
She laughed, moving her hips again, hardly believing the various emotions such an intimate act could produce. Pleasure, pain, laughter—it was all amazing, all glorious, all wonderful—because she shared them with Sebastian.
Feeling more confident, she curled her fingers into the lean muscles of his buttocks and lifted her lower body. It was all the encouragement he needed. He drew back, then deepened his next thrust. The movement filled her with such a sense of completion her eyes filled with tears.
He set a rhythm that she was quickly able to match, arching into the glorious hard strength of him, taking him deeper into her body, deeper into her heart. Heedless of her frantic panting, she savored each thrust, the friction it created pushing the building pleasure and tension. And then suddenly the pleasure broke, crashing over her in waves.
She cried out, her senses scattering utterly. Quaking and shivering, her body trembled as she clung to Sebastian. He continued to thrust, angling her hips to achieve the deepest penetration.
As the firestorm inside her began to cool, Eleanor realized Sebastian was still large and stiff inside her, having not yet achieved his satisfaction. Her eyes locked on his and she tightened her arms around his back, urging him on with nonsensical murmurings of love as he frantically plunged his hardness into her welcoming body.
Suddenly, he stilled, and then a violent shudder rocked him. Eleanor could feel his entire body shaking violently as the surge of his hot seed filled her. It seemed to go on forever, but then abruptly he collapsed against her, his cheek pressed to hers. Stroking his hair, she kissed his damp temple, savoring this extraordinary feeling.
He stayed on top of her for several long minutes, his weight pressing her into the mattress. Gradually she felt the final vestiges of tension leave his body. He made a sound, a cross between a sigh and a moan, then pressed a kiss to her mouth.
Murmuring her name, Sebastian rolled onto his back, pulling her with him. Eleanor rested her head against his shoulder and snuggled close. Her heartbeat eventually slowed and she felt an almost uncontrollable urge to talk, to verbalize and analyze what they had just shared. To ask why he had been so hesitant to take her to his bed and make her his, and was he pleased now that he had?
But the sated lethargy of bliss was quickly overtaking her body. She could tell by Sebastian’s even breaths that he had already fallen asleep. His warmth surrounded her, making her feel comforted, protected. Heart bursting with emotion, she slowly closed her eyes and promptly joined him in a contented slumber.
Chapter 15
The opportunity for conversation never surfaced during the night. After a brief, dreamless sleep, Eleanor was awakened by the feel of a warm, damp cloth between her legs. She opened her eyes and found Sebastian standing at the bedside, gently administering to her. His face was so troubled at the sight of her virgin’s blood, she felt an overwhelming need to comfort him.
“It only hurt for a moment,” she said.
He flinched. “I’m sorry. I never meant for this to happen. Any of it.”
“But I’m so happy that it did,” she answered, sitting up to embrace him.
Their initial kiss and tender caress soon led to other things. Sebastian eased into the bed beside her, sliding close to take her in his arms. Before long he rolled onto his back and Eleanor found herself straddling him, her thighs suggestively stretched over his.
Trepidation, along with a hint of anticipation, filled her. She had some idea of what he had in mind, yet wasn’t precisely sure how it was going to work.
“Use your knees to lift your hips,” he instructed, his voice gruff with strain.
She did as he bid, gasping when he grabbed her waist and pulled her forward. She felt the tip of his erection slowly start to ease inside her wetness, but then he stopped.
“Is something wrong?” she whispered.
He shuddered beneath her. His eyes were glazed with passion, his muscles rigid as he struggled for control. “I want this to be good for you, too.”
He placed his hand low on her belly, working his fingers between their bodies. He stroked her gently and pleasure rocked through her. She lowered herself slightly, hovering over him. Sebastian inhaled a ragged breath and gripped her hips, then at his urging she slowly sank herself onto his jutting penis, savoring the hot, thick fullness.
She stared into his eyes, seeing the passion there, knowing it matched her own need, her own emotions. Bracing her hands on his broad shoulders, Eleanor clenched her inner muscles and started to ride him. Her movements were clumsy at first, almost hesitant, but he encouraged her, whispering wicked instructions in a sensual, throaty tone that made her shiver.
He seemed content to allow her to set the pace and rhythm. Eleanor found the pleasure and power of being in control of their lovemaking exhilarating. She tested his endurance, teasing him with sensual movements and then suddenly he growled and grasped her buttocks. Holding her tight, he jerked the lower half of his body, driving hard and fast
, thrusting up into her until they both climaxed.
A few hours later it was the feel of Sebastian’s wet mouth showering her body with kisses that brought Eleanor gradually out of a deep slumber. His gentle, clever kisses kindled the arousal tightening deep in her womb.
She made no protest when he turned her onto her stomach and moved her into a kneeling position. Grasping her hips firmly, he entered her from behind, stretching her to accept his thick length.
Then he started moving. Each thrust delivered a groan of pleasure to her heightened senses. The darkness engulfed her, the heat of his body surrounded her. Eleanor lifted her head, tossing her hair, crying out as he brushed the tip of his finger back and forth over the slickness between her thighs.
She tried to match his sensuous movements with her own, pushing back to meet his thrusts. His erection seemed to grow even harder and she was nearly weeping at the sensation of him filling her so completely.
He relentlessly drove them both farther and faster until the bliss tore through her and her body collapsed in ecstasy. His breathing was harsh and ragged against the back of her neck and through the haze she felt his body shudder and spasm. He let out a hoarse cry as he came inside her, shouting her name.
An incredible, overpowering happiness filled her. This was more, so much more than she had hoped it would be. Eleanor fell asleep in Sebastian’s arms, his hands stroking her hair, his warmth soothing her, her heart irrevocably bound to him.
A bold streak of sunlight greeted Eleanor when she awoke in her own bed early the following afternoon. Alone. Her arms felt empty without Sebastian, her body cold. She hid her disappointment from Lucy when the young maid brought her hot chocolate, and chatted pleasantly as the servant helped her wash and dress.
Sebastian was already seated at the dining room table when Eleanor entered, a cold plate of uneaten food resting in front of him. Their eyes met and she somehow managed not to blush. He rose politely and dismissed the servants as she sat down. Eleanor’s stomach gave a sharp squeeze at his worried, solemn expression.
“We need to talk,” Sebastian declared.
She nodded in agreement, but they were interrupted by an apologetic Higgins. With great effort, Eleanor managed not to drop her teacup when the butler delivered his astonishing message.
Apparently the Earl of Hetfield had just arrived and was waiting in the drawing room.
“My father?” Eleanor’s face paled. “What is he doing here?”
Sebastian abruptly stood, dismissing Higgins with a sharp wave of his hand. Damn it all to bloody hell! I wanted to explain everything to Eleanor—well, try to explain—but now it is too late. The thread of distress in her voice was unmistakable, yet Sebastian knew he had to ignore it. “I imagine the earl has come for you.”
“How did he know where to find me?” she asked in a reedy voice.
“Before we left London, I arranged to have a letter delivered, informing him that you had come away with me.”
Her eyes immediately filled with questions. Questions that Sebastian had no intention of answering.
“I wish you had asked me first,” she admonished in an even tone.
“I apologize.” He turned away. “I think it best if I meet with the earl in private. I’ll send Higgins for you when we’ve settled everything.”
He practically ran from the dining room. Eleanor’s puzzlement tore at him, but he could not let it distract him. He needed all his wits about him to face the earl.
Upon hearing that Hetfield had arrived, the feelings of revenge that had started all this madness returned in full measure, so much so that the tightness in Sebastian’s chest was nearly a burning rage by the time he reached the drawing room.
The earl glanced up the moment Sebastian came into the room. Dressed in fawn breeches, a tan waistcoat, and a dark green jacket, Hetfield was impeccably groomed, not a hair out of place. Clearly he had not rushed on his way to his daughter’s rescue.
“Why have you summoned me here?” the older man asked. “Eleanor, what in the blazes is going on?”
Sebastian turned and looked over his shoulder. Damn! Would she never listen? He told her to wait in the dining room because he wanted to spare her this scene. Well, there was no help for it now. He had to play the hand he’d been dealt.
Feeling as if the earth was shifting beneath his feet, Sebastian moved to Eleanor’s side, deliberately placing his arm intimately around her waist. “She’s with me,” he declared smugly.
The earl’s eyes narrowed. He would have to be a simpleton to miss Sebastian’s implication. “You spent the night here together, without a proper chaperone?”
“We did,” Sebastian confirmed.
Eleanor stifled a groan. Her head lifted, her gaze shooting to Sebastian’s, helpless, pleading. He looked away. “‘Tis not as bad as it seems,” she said defensively, turning to her father.
The earl’s jaw tightened. “It seems perfectly scandalous,” he replied. “If anyone finds out, Eleanor’s reputation will be ruined. Since you’ve called me here to witness this scandal, Benton, I assume you plan to marry her. Immediately.”
Sebastian shrugged, unimpressed with the earl’s indignation. “Funny thing about assumptions, Hetfield. They are often wrong.”
The older man’s face hardened. “What are you saying?”
Releasing Eleanor, Sebastian gave a short, mirthless laugh and strolled to the fireplace. “I’m not going to marry your daughter, immediately or otherwise.”
Eleanor made a wordless sound of shocked distress, then went quiet. Out of the corner of his eye Sebastian saw her cringe and wrap her arms around herself. She wasn’t looking at him anymore. She was staring at the ceiling.
The earl stiffened. “Why would you dishonor her?”
“He did not—”
“Be silent!” the earl shouted at Eleanor, then turned to face Sebastian. “Your smug expression tells me clearly she spent the night in your bed, Benton. Was it a lark? Surely you cannot have found her attractive. I must therefore assume it’s something else.
“First there was the card game at the Duke of Warren’s ball where you falsely accused me of cheating, and now this mess. What’s your game, man?”
“Revenge.” Sebastian spat the word out with all the fiery loathing he felt deep down inside.
“For what? I don’t know you,” the earl protested.
“You knew my mother,” Sebastian said harshly. “Or have you forgotten?”
A short silence fell. The earl’s face twisted and a haunted look flashed through his eyes. “I remember the countess. You probably won’t believe it, but I always regretted that things between us ended badly.”
“Badly? Your heartless neglect brought about her unnecessary death. And for that you will at long last be held accountable.”
The earl’s mood abruptly shifted and he made a sound of confusion. “If you meant to challenge me to a duel, you would have done so years ago.”
“Circumstances prevented it. Besides, I would never sully my mother’s honorable reputation by revealing how you took advantage of her vulnerability.”
The earl’s eyes lit with dawning understanding. “Ah, so instead you have ruined my daughter’s reputation, in order to force the issue. Clever.”
Sebastian commanded himself not to react, not to betray his true emotions. Hearing it said so succinctly made him feel like an utter cad. Christ, I am no better than Hetfield, toying with an innocent woman’s feelings. He risked another glance at Eleanor. The shock on her face, the anguish in her eyes cut him to the quick, but he ignored her and pressed on, the need for revenge supplanting all other emotions.
“Lady Eleanor’s reputation is not yet sacrificed, since no one else is aware of this incident. Choose your weapons and name your seconds, Hetfield,” Sebastian said, fixing the older man with a hard stare. “If we meet on Hampstead Heath tomorrow at dawn, I swear to never reveal what has happened. Your family’s honor will be saved, no matter what the outcome of our duel.”<
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Abruptly, the earl’s casual air fell away. “You cannot be serious.”
Sebastian cast him a look of disgust. “If not tomorrow, then the following day. That is the most time I will allow.”
“And if I refuse to participate in this little melodrama you’ve so carefully concocted?”
A vein throbbed in Sebastian’s forehead. “You already know what will happen.”
“Oh, yes, you will tell everyone of your scandalous affair with my unmarried daughter.” The earl tugged on the cuff of his jacket, then brushed a small piece of lint from the sleeve. “Go right ahead and make your announcement. Take an ad out in the Times if you’d like.”
Sebastian’s jaw dropped.
“I’m calling your bluff, Benton.”
Sebastian’s gut tightened with a hard twist. “I’m not bluffing.”
“Perhaps. Perhaps not.” The earl shrugged, his disinterest clear. “Either way, it matters very little to me. If you ruin Eleanor, I shall disown her, banishing her from my home and family. The scandal will barely graze me. If Waverly becomes squeamish about it and forsakes Bianca, she will marry Farley and I will receive a sizable settlement from him.
“If you say nothing, well, I have yet to decide on a suitable punishment for the witless Eleanor. Either way, I refuse to issue a challenge, refuse to engage in a duel with you for any reason, under any circumstance.”
For an instant Eleanor’s surroundings faded to nothing. Surely she had misheard. Of course she had. Sebastian would never have planned and plotted all of this in order to exact some sort of revenge against the earl. No, that couldn’t possibly be correct.
Sebastian liked her. Her clever wit, her intelligent conversation, her staunch opinions. He cared for her. Considered her feelings, her wishes, her desires. He wanted to be with her. To cherish her, protect her, keep her safe. They were going to be married, by special license, here in his boyhood home, by the family vicar.
A Little Bit Sinful Page 22
