Joshua frowned. “I’m sure she was shocked.”
Lily shrugged. “Not really. She suggested most men tend to stray ... and that I should learn to accept it.”
What? Joshua put down his own glass so suddenly, he nearly knocked it over. Whilst he accepted that many ton marriages were not love matches, and that invariably many husbands and wives sought sexual satisfaction outside of wedlock after an heir and a spare had been sired, it was appalling to think Lily’s aunt had wanted her to overlook such a heinous transgression before she’d even married.
As for bloody Hardwick ... Every time Joshua thought of how badly he’d used Lily and had then been unfaithful to her, he wanted to punch the worthless cur’s daylights out.
He took another swig of his claret to calm the righteous anger inside him. When the wave passed, he observed, “Your aunt is wrong. You shouldn’t wed a faithless bounder like Lord Hardwick. You deserve better, Lily Godwin. You deserve to be loved and to be happy.”
Lily tilted her head and her gray eyes shimmered suspiciously. “Thank you. I think so too.”
To think Lily wasn’t appreciated by her family rankled so much, Joshua pushed away his plate. “Tell me about your godmother, Lady Solsbury,” he said as he helped himself to a little more of the claret. “You think she really will take your part in this?”
“Oh, yes.” Lily’s expression softened. “She wasn’t overly fond of Humphrey in the first instance. In her opinion he was a bit too serious, and a little too old for me. Whereas my aunt and uncle, they were very pleased when Lord Hardwick proposed.”
“And you. Were you pleased?” He shouldn’t have asked such a question but part of him was suddenly dying to know how deep Lily’s feelings ran for Hardwick. He was firmly of the opinion that the ungrateful prick didn’t deserve an ounce of her affection.
Lily toyed with a sprig of fragrant rosemary that had fallen from the arrangement of evergreens. “Yes, I was ... You see, at the risk of sounding like a desperate debutante, I was beginning to believe I might have been left on the shelf. I’d already had two Seasons and my aunt and uncle were none too pleased given the expense involved; they’d already spent a considerable sum funding the come-outs for their own two daughters and had made it very clear that I would not have a third season doing the rounds of the marriage mart. And I, too, despaired that I might have to live with them forever. Even though I have a dowry, I am essentially the poor niece. So when Humphrey proposed at the end of November, I accepted. I found him handsome and although serious in manner, quite charming. He made me feel special. Cared for.”
Joshua frowned. Poor sweet Lily. The fact that she saw herself as a burden and had jumped at the first proposal that had come her way spoke volumes about her uncle and aunt. “Forgive me for venturing my opinion as I can be quite blunt at times, but Lord and Lady Dunmere do not sound like they have been the most loving of guardians.”
Lily released a small sigh. “It is what it is. I was thrust upon them when I was eleven years old after my parents both passed away. They didn’t choose to have another child to look after. Especially one whose father was only a country vicar.”
Ah, Joshua understood the country mouse reference now. “I’m so sorry to hear all that, Lily. It cannot have been easy for you.”
She shrugged and gave a small, sad smile. “I cannot complain. I’ve been provided with many opportunities that other young women haven’t. And like most, I’ve always wanted to wed. To have a family of my own.” Her expression softened as she added, “God willing, I will be as happy as my parents were if I ever do get married one day. Perhaps my acceptance of Lord Hardwick’s proposal was hasty, but I didn’t fancy becoming my aunt’s harried companion or the poor spinster chaperone to my cousin’s children. It was a very good match for someone like me.”
Someone like me ... Dear God, he wanted to rail at Lily’s guardians for making her feel so worthless. Instead, he simply said, “I’m sure you’ll have everything you desire one day.” In fact, he was certain of it.
Her expression was wistful. “Perhaps ...”
He put down his glass. “I’ve made you sad again. I didn’t mean to.”
Lily gave him that smile of hers—part maid, part siren—that made his loins tighten. “No. No, you haven’t at all. In fact, I cannot think of a Christmas that I have enjoyed anywhere near as much.”
Joshua summoned his most rakish never-fail-to-seduce-a-female smile in return. “I hope that before the evening is through, you will count it as one of your favorites.”
Chapter 5
Although Lily loved sweet things, she was not of a mind to linger over her pudding. As delightful as the syllabub looked and tasted, she could barely eat more than a few mouthfuls of the creamy concoction; her stomach fluttered with anticipation every time she chanced a glance across the table at Joshua. His gaze was so hot and hungry, she rather thought his appetite was for something else besides dessert. And that was exactly the way she felt too.
As soon as she put down her silver spoon and pushed her crystal dish away, Joshua did the same. “Is there anything else I can offer you?” he asked in a voice so deep and velvet soft, Lily’s face grew hot.
“Dinner was lovely, but if you don’t mind, I think it might be time to retire for the evening.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Joshua put aside his napkin and rose from his seat. “May I have the honor of escorting you to your room?”
“Yes. Of course.” Lily stood too. “I should like that.”
Joshua offered his arm and when she took it, he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. As they traversed the main hall and ascended the stairs, heading toward her room, he chatted about Chiltern Abbey, pointing out various features of the grand residence—the elegant vaulted ceiling with its fresco of cupids and angels; the ornate fireplace constructed of gray marble veined with green; the gilt chandelier that had been imported from Italy.
How he could talk so calmly astounded Lily. She was abuzz with expectation—nervous excitement fizzed through her veins, tightened her chest. Made her cheeks hot.
She barely heard a word Joshua said. All she could think about was what would happen when they arrived at her room.
Would he ask to stay, or would she have to summon the nerve to invite him in? Maybe she should have had more Champagne to bolster her rapidly failing courage.
As they walked along the second floor hallway towards the wing where the guest rooms lay, Joshua fell silent. Lily glanced at him from beneath her lashes. Was he planning what to say to her too?
He must have felt her gaze as he smiled warmly. “I want to thank you for joining me for dinner,” he said as they approached her room. “You’re convivial company has brightened my evening. Indeed, my whole day.”
They paused by her door. “Mine as well,” she murmured. She’d never been so skittish or tongue-tied with longing in all her life. She wanted to say more but her thoughts were scattered; Joshua hadn’t relinquished her hand yet and the caress of his thumb over her knuckles was most distracting.
“Well, then,” he said. His eyes held hers. She fancied a combination of speculation and desire gleamed in their blue depths. “I suppose I should bid you goodnight ...”
“Don’t leave on my account.” A furious blush heated her whole face. Did you really just say that, Lily Godwin?
Joshua didn’t seem put off by her shameful pronouncement, at all. His mouth tilted into a lop-sided grin that was both winsome and sinful. “Are you inviting me into your room, Miss Godwin?”
She swallowed. Her mouth was dry, her heartbeat double-time. “Yes,” she said in a hoarse voice. “Yes I am.”
“I’m honored that you’ve asked me.” He turned the brass handle with his free hand then drew her into the room. Kicking the door closed with his booted foot, he then pulled her into his arms. “I’m assuming you wish to continue what we began in the carriage?” The perpetual twinkle of amusement in his gaze was replaced with an emotion that was darker a
nd hotter, turning his eyes a deeper shade of blue.
Suddenly feeling bold, Lily slid her hands around his neck. His silky hair brushed her fingertips. “Yes ... You gave me a taste of how things should be between a man and a woman and I want to experience more. In fact ...” she drew a deep breath, “I want to try everything.”
He cocked an eyebrow. The spark of mirth had returned. “Everything? I know I have a bit of a reputation but I’m not sure that I’m actually up to showing you everything in the space of a single night.”
Lily bit her lip and dropped her eyes to his cravat. “I’m sorry if I seem overeager and gauche—”
“Hush.” Joshua tipped her chin up with gentle fingers, trapping her gaze. “Don’t ever apologize or feel embarrassed, my sweet. I will do my very best to satisfy you, as many times as you like. And ...” he paused to push an escaped tendril of hair behind her ear, “I will also do my very best to make sure I do not get you with child. Tonight I want you to feel cherished and appreciated. Free to enjoy yourself without fear or judgment.” His voice dropped as he brushed a thumb across her lower lip as if marking her as his own. “Most of all, I want to give you what you seek. Unforgettable pleasure.”
Oh, my goodness. It was as though Joshua could see into her mind, sense exactly what she needed. Lily trembled and a rush of heat went all the way to her quim. She felt as warm and sticky as a honey pot down there. “How shall we begin?” she whispered.
“With a kiss I think. And then I want to see you naked.”
He cupped her face, his thumbs caressing her jaw, and glanced a gentle kiss across her lips. Then another. And another. Each press of his mouth was a little firmer, each time he lingered a little longer.
He was teasing her, expertly fanning the embers of her desire, and she adored it. As their kiss deepened, as their tongues tangled, she tugged at his coat, sliding it off his shoulders and down his muscular arms until he shrugged it onto the thick, rose-patterned Aubusson rug at their feet; he’d said he’d wanted to see her naked, but she wanted to admire his physique as well.
However she didn’t get much farther in her quest to disrobe Joshua as he expertly continued to undress her, slipping the buttons of her riding jacket undone, loosening her cravat, and then the fastenings of her cambric bodice. All the while he kissed her, backing her toward the hearth where a fire danced in the white marble fireplace.
When the back of her legs bumped into a gilt legged settee, he grasped her upper arms and drew back. “I’m sorry. My eagerness has made me clumsy.”
“It’s all right.” Lily touched his jaw, her fingertips grazing along the fine stubble. With her other hand, she tentatively cupped his burgeoning erection through his breeches. He closed his eyes and made a low sound in his throat like a great cat purring.
“Ah, Lily,” he murmured. “When you touch me like that, I cannot think.”
“I know the feeling.”
“Minx.”
She squeezed him gently and he caught her hand and kissed it. “There will be time for that later, my sweet. Right now, I want to spoil you.”
With a deftness that should have shocked her, he stripped off her habit, petticoats, and then her stays, leaving her in her thin chemise, stockings, and black kid boots. “Raise your arms,” he whispered, and then her chemise was gone too.
Joshua took a step back. As his gaze leisurely explored her naked body, lingering on her breasts and the thatch of curls at the apex of her thighs, she blushed.
“By God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed. His finger brushed the furled peak of one nipple, making her shiver. When Lily looked at his face, his expression was rapt, his eyes heavy-lidded with arousal. “In all my life, I’ve never been blessed with such a gift.”
“Seeing me naked is a gift?”
His gaze locked with hers. “Yes.”
Oh, my. Lily’s breath caught in her chest and her nipples grew so tight, they throbbed. She’d never dreamed that being regarded like this could be so arousing. Her skin tingled with awareness; indeed, her whole body thrummed with restless energy. The caress of Joshua’s gaze was wonderful but somehow not enough.
“Sit down, darling girl.”
As if in a dream, Lily lowered herself onto the settee. The rose-pink silk brocade was cool against her bare bottom. Joshua dropped to his knees, unbuttoned her boots and slipped them off, one by one. Then, his gaze riveted to hers, he slowly pulled the blue ribbon garters above her right knee undone and slid her silk stocking down, his large warm hands caressing the entire length of her leg, right down to the tips of her toes.
He repeated the process with her other stocking and by the time he was done, Lily thought she might explode with fevered need. Pressing her thighs together, she tried to relieve the acute ache in her sex but it didn’t help at all.
Joshua must have noticed her discomfort as he smiled gently and brushed his thumb over her lips. “Almost finished,” he murmured, his voice low and husky.
“Almost finished? Joshua, I’m completely stark naked.”
“True, but your hair is still dressed, so to speak.” His movements as delicate and deliberate as any lady’s maid, he carefully removed her hairpins, placing each one into a little crystal dish that sat on a nearby mahogany table. “There,” he said at last, fluffing her loosened hair out so the tresses fell about her shoulders and down her back. “Perfect.”
Lily couldn’t help but smile. “I feel like a muse, and you, the artist, are arranging me just so.”
“Why, yes. I think that analogy works very nicely, Miss Godwin.” His hot hands ran lightly up her thighs, his thumbs stopping near the curls hiding her sex. “And now I want you to lie back and open your legs.”
Lily blinked in confusion. “But then you’ll see my ...” She couldn’t say the word.
“Quim? Cunny? Pussy?”
“Yes.”
His smile was thoroughly wicked. “Exactly. But not only that, my sweet Lily, I’m going to lick and kiss you there until you orgasm. Hard.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “You cannot mean that.”
Joshua cocked an eyebrow in reply. “I do.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I am,” he said. His thumbs stroked the seam between her tightly clamped thighs. “In fact, it’s one of my favorite pastimes. At the risk of sounding boastful, I believe I’m quite adept.”
She shouldn’t really be all that surprised given Lord Nash’s reputation as a libertine. And she had said she wanted to experience everything. Although her initial reaction had been shock, she was also curious. She recalled how wonderful it felt when Joshua had stroked her with his fingers ...
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, leaned back a little, and parted her legs. Cool air washed over her folds and she realized how damp she was. Wet.
For a long moment, she heard and felt nothing at all. And then Joshua’s hands were on her thighs again, parting her wider still. What was he thinking? She held her breath. Did he like the view?
She didn’t have to wait long to hear his thoughts as he murmured, “How pretty your petals are. Rosy and deliciously wet. Just for me.”
“Yes ... ” She opened her eyes, and at last, a thrill rippled through her as she took in his intent expression. The frank admiration. The hunger. “Just for you.”
He glanced up at her face and smiled languorously as he trailed one long finger along the slick furrow between her folds. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” And then he dipped his head and lightly licked along the same path where his wicked finger had traveled.
Lily gasped and closed her eyes again. Oh, my Lord.
The sensation was sinfully good. Decadent yet utterly divine. Erotic.
His tongue, wet and firm yet as soft as velvet, traced along her folds again before swirling around her core—her tight little nub of pleasure. Burying her fingers in his hair, she moaned and arched her back, shamelessly pushing her sex against his mouth. Parted her thighs wider, encouraging him to do whatever he w
anted.
And he did. Joshua lifted one of her legs and placed it over the padded arm of the chair. The other, he slid over his shoulder. In this position, she was completely open to him. Totally at his mercy.
Gripping her hips, he buried his face in her quim. He licked, and licked again, his tongue sliding, curling, flickering over her most intimate parts, lapping her dew with relish, tasting every inch of her. When he focused on laving her excruciatingly sensitive nub with the tip of his tongue, he slid one long finger deep inside her sex, then another, gently stretching her, stroking her from within.
Oh, yes ... Sweet heaven, yes.
As he began to thrust his fingers, Lily moaned and panted. Pulled Joshua’s hair and writhed, caught somewhere between agony and ecstasy. Although she wanted this sweet torture to go on forever, she couldn’t take much more. She was close, so close.
“Oh, God ... please,” she begged, her voice a desperate thread of sound. “Please make me come.”
At her plea, Joshua immediately changed tactics; his fingers plunged frantically, ramming and withdrawing over and over again as he sucked her nub between his lips, pulling hard; the suction was exquisite and exactly what she needed to send her soaring, flying up to the heavens. A ragged cry of elation spilled from somewhere deep inside her and then Joshua was kissing her, his tongue plundering her mouth, stealing her breath as wave after wave of pleasure pulsed through her.
When Joshua pulled away and she opened her eyes, all she could do was touch his face and smile. It seemed she’d melted into a puddle of satisfaction.
“So, my lovely angel. How was that?”
“Profoundly wicked and almost too divine for words.” She touched his lips, still wet from their kiss and probably her feminine juices. “The best Christmas gift ever. And definitely unforgettable.”
“Good.” He raised himself on straight arms and his eyes raked down her body. Her legs were still wide apart, her drenched quim achingly close to the enormous bulge at the front of his breeches. It was a testament to his skill as a lover that Lily wanted to inch closer to that rigid length, not to shy away from it as she’d done two nights ago with Humphrey.
An Improper Christmas Page 5
